Histories of the Earth
by BANIX
Summary: To use logical and rational reasoning to view facts in an objective and unbiased manner, that is the thinking expected from a historian. To observe, record, analyse, and interpret what had happened, that is the job of a historian. To find out the truth of all myths and legends, that is my dream as a historian. I, Nova Labelle, am a historian. (Reincarnated OC)
1. Chapter 1- Beautiful New World

Lumiose City, a city that never sleeps. A metropolis of art and artifice that is located right at the very heart of Kalos. The most populous city in the world.

This is my home, located in a region that I never knew about from what I can remember in my previous life, where the world of pokemon was just a game. I never really followed up on what happened after the Gen III or Gen IV games, only knowing that people still love the franchise as much as I did before I stopped following up on it.

Whatever life I had lived before is now a thing of the past. Right now, all I want is to enjoy the now and look forward to the future.

My new name is Nova Labelle, and I had already been in this world for 26 years. My new parents were scientists and inventors that focused on making tools that can benefit both mankind and pokemon. Unfortunately, they both died in an accident when I was eight.

Their legacy, however, still lives on.

The Holo Caster is one of the most groundbreaking recent inventions that was introduced to the world, although most of its users are still predominantly Kalosians. The Holo Caster was first conceptualised by my parents when they envisioned a day where people can communicate to each other through holograms. They never did get around to complete it, but my uncle helped to finish their work very recently. He is not an inventor like my parents are, but he still picked up their work from where they had left off. After years of hard work and after many trials and errors by the scientists employed by my uncle, the Holo Caster was completed in the exact same way my parents had envisioned it to be. Improved and finalised under my uncle's company, Lysandre Labs, the Holo Caster was then introduced to Kalos and subsequently the world.

In my hands is the very first Holo Caster to ever be produced. It is the very first prototype made by my parents before my uncle took over their last work, whose initial functions only allow it to record and save images and videos as holograms, so that these images and videos can later be retrieved and displayed in a holographic form. Communication through holographic images was not yet possible when my parents passed away. When the finished product was completed by Lysandre Labs, my uncle helped me update the Holo Caster my parents left me so that I can also use it to communicate with any other people with the same device.

The Holo Caster in my hands is battered looking with obvious signs of wear and tear. Still, I never got around to replace it because this was what my parents left me. It was supposed to be a birthday gift for my eighth birthday before their untimely demise. They wanted to surprise me with the very first Holo Caster they invented and they wanted me to be the very first person to use their invention.

They even recorded their own birthday wishes to me in it. It's still there in my Holo Caster. Whenever I think about them, I will open the recording so that I can still remember how they look like and how their voices sound like. It's like they are still alive. Their visages, their voices, they are all preserved in my Holo Caster as holograms for all eternity.

Technological progress in this world really is a beautiful thing.

My parents and uncle are people who strives their best to make the world a better place. They want to create a beautiful world and that was why they invested so much in trying to create new technology to make their visions come true. My parents are inventors, but my uncle is a businessman. Together, they founded Lysandre Labs, a company named after my uncle because my parents did the registration of the company when it first started. As to why my parents named it as such, my parents just found it hilarious to name a company by pasting my uncle's name on it. They knew that my uncle wouldn't like it, which is why they did it.

For as long as I can remember, my parents just love to annoy my uncle for shit and giggles.

To this day, my uncle wasn't the least bit amused by my parents' actions, but he never made a move to change the company's name even if he always complained about what my parents did.

I live with my uncle in Lumiose City ever since my parents' unfortunate demise. My uncle used to be a pokemon trainer before he decided to be a businessman. According to my parents, my uncle is someone with a beautiful heart determined to help make the world a beautiful place. When my uncle finished his first ever conference as a pokemon trainer, he decided to venture into business because he thinks that this is where he can make the most impact on the world.

My family may be small, but they are all good people.

Unlike my uncle and parents, I'm not interested in inventing things or getting myself involved in the corporate world. My interest lies in history. Right here, in Kalos, is a brand new world for me. A world that I don't even know if it existed in the pokemon game in my previous life. In this beautiful new world, I want to know everything. I want to know Kalos' entire history and my thirst for knowledge is not just limited to the Kalos region too.

Everything, everywhere, every known region in the world. I want to know and understand them all. All of their history, I want to know it all.

Since young, after I started living with my uncle, I want to be a historian so that I can go around uncovering historical facts and interpret what I found in an objective and unbiased manner, but my uncle warned me that travelling is dangerous. It is definitely dangerous when there are loads of untamed creatures running around in the wild that can spit fire and move the earth at a whim. So, my uncle made me promise him something before he allowed me to pursue my dreams.

Since my dream is to be a historian to uncover the truth of every single myth and legend, which will take me to all sorts of dangerous places, I need to learn how to protect myself. To do that, I need to first be a pokemon trainer and at least reach the level of an Elite trainer, because having a team of decently trained pokemon with you is a lot safer than travelling alone. Once I could do what he asked of me, only would my overprotective and doting uncle be assured enough that I can protect myself without his constant supervision.

I know my uncle always have my best interests at heart, so I readily agreed. If I look at what he told me from an objective and unbiased point of view, what he said is correct. It is dangerous to travel alone around Kalos. Knowing myself, I'm definitely going to actively visit rarely ventured places searching for unknown parts of our region's history because sitting behind a desk all day as a historian working in an office is just not my style. I'm not that type of historian who can sit in her office the entire day going through ancient documents. I'm the type that needs to be there at the scene to do the investigation. This quirk of mine earned me the nickname of _'part-time archeologist' _by my historian colleagues.

My uncle is right. There is a need for me to first learn how to be a decent pokemon trainer before I embark on my dream to become a historian.

As a pokemon trainer, my dream isn't to catch them all, but rather find a few easygoing ones that I can bond with and is strong enough to protect me. I don't need them to be the best battler or the strongest fighter, I just want them to be my best companion like how my uncle's pyroar is to him.

However, as I soon found out, I actually possess some talent as a pokemon trainer, especially with ground types.

I don't know _why_, but I can easily bond with ground type pokemon. I can even understand them on a very instinctive level. I just talk to them and they will simply listen. A wild ground type will be more willing to trust me than any other trainer. It was how I found my very first pokemon when I was five, a swinub, when it somehow escaped from a nearby pokemon farm and ended up finding me with his nose. I didn't want to let him go after we quickly formed a bond with each other, so my parents acquiesced to my request and bought him from the farm when the owner came looking for it. I named swinub Berg.

When I finally started my journey as a pokemon trainer with Berg by my side, the same thing happened. Any ground type I met along the way simply watch me from afar with curious eyes. It was how I got myself many of the exotic ground types when I visited the Friend Safari in Kiloude City, the equivalent of Kanto's Safari Zone in Fuschia. Ground types simply come to me on their own volition.

I still have no clue why that is the case. Even my uncle, who is a walking encyclopedia of an assortment of knowledge in different fields, shrug cluelessly when I asked him why.

It was because of my affinity with ground types that I decided to be a Ground Specialist, trainers who specialises in training ground types. I am not the most powerful trainer around, but I am strong enough to qualify as an Elite trainer that belongs to the upper tier. I also got a few rock types along the way, two of which are fossil pokemon who were revived from the fossils I found.

Reviving Jaws, a tyrunt who is now a gigantic tyrantrum, and Sail, my amaura who is now an aurorus, from fossils is a very expensive thing to do. But when you are the niece of the owner of Lysandre Labs, such costs are small change when you have a doting uncle with too much money to spare.

Like I dreamed, I became a historian after I finished taking part in my first and only conference and earned for myself the title of Elite trainer by proving my strength as one. I didn't do too bad in the conference, finishing among the Top 4 among the hundreds who participated in that year. I only finished as Top 4 because I drew the short end of the stick when I ended up facing a Water Specialist in the semi-finals, who would later go on and be a member of Kalos Elite Four not long after that conference.

Siebold and I are still good friends even till today, even if I constantly questioned the fact **_why _**am I _still _friends with him.

My work as a historian took me to all sorts of places around the region and sometimes, also across the world. It is not an easy job because I'm the type of person to want to personally visit newly discovered sites. My ground and rock types are a big help when it comes to excavating things we found with their ground and rock type techniques, speeding up the excavation process faster than what any other archeologist can do. People call me the perfect mix of archeologist and historian, but I still prefer to refer to myself as a historian. I'm just a part time archeologist that has a talent for training pokemon to dig things up from the earth.

The history that I am currently most invested in is the history of Kalos. Specifically, I'm interested in unearthing the truth of the most famous part of Kalos' history that occurred about 3,000 years ago.

The Kalos War, and with it the truth behind the myth known as the Story of the Kalos King.

The specific period of history about the Kalos War that I am referring to was about a Kalos King that reportedly lived in an era about 3,000 years ago. It was an era where war plagued our lands. Most Kalosians refer to the tale of the Kalos King as 'The Story of the Kalos King'. There are many versions of the story and the stories about the Kalos King spoke about many different things, but the one thing that is consistent is that he was the one who stopped a war which was plaguing the region by firing the "ultimate weapon", destroying both sides of the war and thereby bringing peace back into our lands.

Many brushed this off as a ridiculous myth, one that parents will tell their children at night before they tuck them into bed to educate them about the horrors of war. In this world, wars are a thing of the distant past. War has not occurred for the past five centuries, at least not a full blown war. The last true war that occurred about five centuries ago was when Kalos' very first Champion united the land and founded the Kalos region. Subsequently, our region became the sixth region to join the Pokemon World League.

Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola. These seven regions form the Pokemon World League and the small part of the world that I currently know of. Most of the world is still unexplored because of how incredibly vast it is and how ridiculously hard it can be to travel from region to region. I do know that there is also a region named Orre, but due to how war-torn that place is and how hard it is to reach there, nothing much goes in and out of the region. Not much is known about it. Orre is also not a part of the Pokemon World League.

Small scale battles and conflicts still occur in many parts of the world every now and then, but those are usually against terrorist organisations. Many people lived their whole lives without experiencing one of those because these are things that only trainers working for the League would experience when they march into the fray to protect the fragile peace.

My uncle and I, however, always believe that there are always some element of truth to every story no matter how outlandish it may sound. My uncle is a firm believer that there are many things one can learn from the past, a belief that I also hold. He believes that the key to creating a beautiful world that can last for eternity may be found by discovering what people of the past did before the progress of civilisation got to where we are today. He believes that by learning from their mistakes and building upon our ancestors' success, only then can mankind grow further to help make the world a beautiful place.

Even when many Kalosians only take the story of the Kalos King to be a tall tale, I myself believe that at least a part of the tale should be the historical truth. To me, there is always an element of truth to every single story. It's up to us to differentiate which is which.

I'm currently still investigating the true history of the story of the Kalos King with my pokemon team. We don't know for certain what part of the story of the Kalos King is true and which is false, but that's what we are here to find out.

"Alright, Berg, let's see what your nose can find."

My mamoswine gave a loud snort before sniffing the air. I followed after him as he lumbered along the outskirts of Camphrier Town. Digging up whatever historical facts about the myth of the Kalos King had led us here. Hopefully, we can finally make some headway in our work. We had been consistently bumping into dead ends for the last six months now. Progress in our investigation had always been at a snail's pace because the history that I am investigating took place more than 3,000 years ago. I had already been investigating this part of our region's history for years and yet I still do not have the full picture.

Berg pawed at a specific spot on the ground after two hours of us wandering around.

"Here?" I asked and Berg nodded. I released my entire team when Berg gave me his confirmation.

Time to start unearthing secrets.

* * *

"Let me guess, you found another dead end again."

"What gave it away? My face?" I said in equal parts amusement and sarcasm when my uncle noted my mood the moment I walked through the front door. His eyes immediately trailed down to the rusty boxes that my golem, Crust, my golurk, Drift, and my marowak, Tinen, are carrying for me. I myself am carrying one of the smaller boxes as well.

My uncle pointed to the boxes with a single finger after pouring himself a glass of fine wine.

"_That_ doesn't seem like a dead end to me."

"You should see what we found here." I huffed as my pokemon and I set the boxes on a huge table in a loud and audible thump. I opened the small box which I was carrying.

"Relic Copper, Relic Silver, a moldy Blue Flute…"

"Those are valuable." My uncle commented cooly without a care in the world as I tossed out said valuable items from their box.

"Some weird gems, dirty bags of Stardust…" I continue on my tirade as my hands waded through the contents of another box with my gloved hands. Personal hygiene and all that.

"That is worth a small fortune on its own."

"Pearls, Big Pearls, an oh!_ A Rare Bone! _Tinen, here you go!" I tossed the dirty bone backwards even without looking. I heard my marowak catching it with glee. Maybe she will use the one I just found to replace the one she is currently using, I don't know. I never found out what criteria she uses to judge which is the best bone for her since she is so secretive about it. That Rare Bone doesn't look like it is sturdy enough to take a hit, but that's my own unqualified opinion.

"Nova, why are you even complaining?"

"Starpiece, Nuggets, Big Nuggets, Pearl Strings. Did I just stumbled onto some secret royalty treasure stash? _Comet Shard."_ I picked up the blue sparkling thing with a hand before tossing it at my uncle without looking. I know he will catch it. "Wow. Much help to our work."

"The Comet Shard _is _very much valuable."

I opened up _another _box.

"And there's also-Woah! **_Everyone back off!_** An Odd Keystone!" I quickly backpedalled as Drift quickly stood in front of me in a protective manner.

It's a rare thing to come across, but not totally unheard of when unearthing artifacts. Odd Keystones are ancient items that serves as containers to trap and bind spiritombs. All spiritombs use it as a base. If some unlucky archeologist come across an occupied Odd Keystone and poke it the wrong way, he can say goodbye to this beautiful world.

Immediately, every single pokemon around me and my uncle are on guard. My uncle's pyroar is now growling and slowly approaching the Odd Keystone. Tinen is holding both her own bone and the one I just gave her as though she is an expert on dual-wielding. Pieces of rocks that are part of Crust's shell are levitating in the air, ready to be fired at the slightest hint of danger.

Spiritombs are very dangerous creatures. No one knew how they truly came about but the whole world knows that they are dangerous if not handled properly. There are myths surrounding this species of pokemon, saying that it is birthed by the formation of 108 spirits and bound to an Odd Keystone by a mysterious spell. No one had ever managed to verify that fact because encountering spiritombs is a rare occurrence. It also doesn't help that most of them are extremely violent and vengeful creatures that won't hesitate to kill everything in its sight.

It took a while, but our pokemon finally gave the all clear when they carefully inspected the Odd Keystone. This particular one is empty.

"Nova, **_what _**was rule #1 we established when it comes to bringing in artifacts back home? I told you many times to do the inspecting of artifacts _outside _before bringing it into the house." My uncle deadpanned when we all heaved a sigh of relief after finding out that this is just an empty scare.

"You were as interested as I am." I argued back. "You didn't stop me from bringing the boxes in!"

"I thought you had _already _done the inspecting _outside_."

I feigned deafness as I continue to rummage through the boxes.

"Relic Vase, Relic Band, and ooooh~ a _Relic Crown!_" I held out the rare and valuable object and inspect it under the light. Relic Crown is an item that collectors worldwide will pay a hefty sum just to get one of these into their collection. It is pretty, but they don't serve much of a purpose other than being pretty.

"Which makes me wonder _why _you are complaining about this entire thing." My uncle said in the flattest voice I ever heard as he sat on the sofa nearby, a glass of fine wine in his hand that he is now swirling lazily. Pyroar lay down on the carpeted floor by his feet, giving a lazy yawn.

"But uncle! _None _of this helps us in investigating the true history of the Kalos War or the Kalos King!" I whined as I childishly put the crown on his head. Yes, I may be an adult at twenty-six years old, the age where I should be having my quarter life crisis, but that does not stop me from indulging myself in the occasional childish acts.

"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." I stated as I took a few steps backwards and inspected my crown-wearing uncle with my hands on my hips, pleased with my handiwork.

My uncle is _not _amused.

"I never knew that my niece is capable of spouting such words of wisdom." My uncle drawled as he sipped his fine wine, still wearing the crown on his head. His flaming orange hair is so thick and unruly that I think that the crown is sitting on his hair rather than on his head. My own hair is a dark orange that borders on red, and I let it grow and cascade it down my shoulders in a slight wavy manner.

"And did you just seriously put a _dusty _old crown on your uncle's head?" My uncle complained as he plucked the Relic Crown off his head with a hand. "Who knows what dirty things are on it? So not beautiful."

"For all we know, that may be the crown that the Kalos King used to wear." I suggested, even if I don't even believe a single word of what I just said. "All hail King Lysandre!"

"Har. Har." My uncle deadpanned. "Very funny."

"No, seriously. What if we are descendants of some long forgotten royalty line? How cool would that be?"

"Not cool at all." My uncle snorted as he continues to drink his wine in an aristocratic manner befitting a king. "Like you said, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. That's actually a good quote, Nova. I didn't know you had it in you."

_"Hey."_

"Hi." My uncle did a sarcastic wave at me.

"It's because you are so uncute that you are still single." I sniffed in a haughty and childish manner as I crossed my arms. "You don't even have a sense of humour. Not beautiful at all."

"_Excuse me. _I do have a beautiful sense of humour."

"Yeah? Like?"

There wasn't a reply.

"See?" I let a knowing grin show on my face. "I knew it. I'm right."

My uncle simply chucked the near priceless Relic Crown at me.

Not beautiful at all, uncle. Not beautiful at all.

* * *

**AN: As usual, to my old fans who love my works on the pokemon world, here is the story of Kalos. To my new readers, welcome to my world of pokemon. If you love Histories of the Earth, give reading my other pokemon stories a go. I think you will love it. I certainly enjoy writing every single one of them.**

**Presenting the Kalos OC, Nova Labelle, a historian in the pokemon world. Like my previous pokemon stories, I Just Want to Travel The World, The Sun of Sunyshore, Ordinary Researcher, Reach for the Skies, Rocket's Exterminator, all of them are occurring in the same world. With Histories of the Earth, I now have six stories centered about the world of pokemon that I had envisioned ever since I first started IJWTTTW. I swear IJWTTTW was supposed to end at the battle frontier arc when I first started writing it, I never expected for the entire thing to develop into a literal series.**

**All that is left now is the Alola story, which I'm still undecided about what kind of trainer the oc should be. Once the Alola story is out, then it will be about time all 7 of them will meet.**

**Nova was supposed to be a Steel Specialist and an inventor that invents items for pokemon, but I found that idea too difficult to write. I'm glad that I made her a Ground Specialist instead, you will see why in the later chapters. I think her being a historian and a Ground Specialist is the best fit for her because of my interpretation of the Kalos region.**

**I have to say that I never follow up on the pokemon games after Gen IV, so anything from the Unova region onwards, I have close to zero clues on what went on in the games/anime/manga etc. Everything I know is from me reading bulbapedia. If there are any factual errors, just treat it as an AU or sorts.**

**In any case, hope you enjoy Histories of the Earth**

**Character and Pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**Lysandre Labelle, Age: 52, Male, Owner of Lysandre Labs, Uncle of Nova Labelle**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Pyroar**

**2\. ****Gyrados**

**3\. ****Mienshao**

**4\. ****Honchkrow**


	2. Chapter 2- Restaurant Le Yeah

"Siebold Bocuse." I gritted out through my Holo Caster. "Where. Are. You."

I don't care if he is now a member of Kalos Elite Four or the fact that he is way out of my league. Nobody makes an appointment with a lady a week before, telling her to meet him in the afternoon today, constantly reminding her to _not _eat any breakfast because she will be having a sumptuous lunch that is cooked by him.

And then be spectacularly late. It's way past the agreed meeting time.

I'm hungry and I'm angry. A hungry woman makes an angry woman. Hungry plus angry makes me _hangry_. I'm_ **hangry**_.

"Ah, mademoiselle!" Oh, now _there's _the reply I had been waiting for the past two hours as Siebold's ugly mug finally popped up from my Holo Caster. "I'm so sor-"

_"Sorry?" _My voice nearly went an octave higher. "You better cook me all the best and most expensive food when you finally get y-"

"Turn left to Autumnal Avenue and you shall see the wonderful me!"

"Trust me, the world will be much more _wonderful _when I finally strangle y-"

"Find me at Restaurant Le Yeah! On the right side of the street!"

"You woke me up at the _wrong _side of the bed today, Siebold. I'm warning you, if I find the food even a _teeny weeny_ bit unsatisfactory, I'll make you go _yeah_."

What's with that weird name? _Restaurant Le **Yeah**?_ I know this weird friend of mine was trying to open up four new restaurants in Lumiose under his name, saying that the concept behind it is going to be '_artistically revolutionary'_.

But to keep me waiting and hungry for _two whole hours?_

He. Is. So. **Dead**. I will make his death a work of art to be remembered by historians for centuries to come. It will be so beautiful that no one will say otherwise.

I found the Restaurant Le Yeah he was yapping about. It's hard to miss it. Siebold himself is standing at the door, waving excitedly at me in that ridiculous getup he always appear in public, as though he is afraid that I am unable to spot that ridiculously gaudy and flamboyantly decorated restaurant from a mile away.

He and his artistic sense is just _weird_.

"Mademoiselle! Glad to have you here with us as Restaurant Le Yeah's very first customer before our grand opening!"

Translation: I am his guinea pig for the sole purpose of allowing him to make any adjustments he deems necessary before his restaurant's grand opening, depending on what I find satisfactory and unsatisfactory about my dining experience here.

"_You_ will be the _very first_ on my to-kill list unless you have a _very good_ reason why you kept a lady waiting for two whole-"

"It was to prepare the best dining experi-"

"Siebold. Food. **Now**." I demanded as I sat myself down on a table that he had obviously prepared for me since that is the only table with any cutlery put on it.

"Ah, therein lies the problem, Nova." Siebold spoke in a flamboyant manner as he pushed up his fringe with a hand. The only ones in this empty restaurant are the two of us and his employees who I know are hiding themselves somewhere in here.

Siebold dramatically raised his right arm at a forty-five degree angle towards the ceiling, palm opened like a blooming flower just as a mysterious ray of light shine down at him. I was about to commit manslaughter in broad daylight because this idiot is not getting me my food _immediately_, until I was reminded that I need to first hear him explain what he meant by '_therein lies the problem_'.

Siebold is still striking that ridiculous pose with that mysterious light show shining from somewhere. Every moment of my time with him is always accompanied by the ridiculous visual effects he is always so adamant on having when he is making a declaration. He never told me how he got the lights to work for him in this manner, but I have a feeling I know where those lights are coming from.

Question is, why am I still friends with this idiot? My empty stomach is rioting, damn it! Siebold Bocuse! Do your job as a chef and fill my stomach with food! **_NOW!_**

"The whole concept behind my restaurants is to serve each course of the meal with a side of pokemon battle."

_Say. **What?**_

"Before you are allowed to enjoy your meal, you need to first take part in a pokemon battle! To enjoy the food at its best, you need to finish the battle in a very specific amount of time!" Siebold declared dramatically as he spread his arms out, as if welcoming the embrace of the universe. "Of course, each of my employees that you will be battling will not make things easy for you! They will purposely drag the battles longer than needed! Wasting precious time that may make your food go cold or lose its perfect taste through-"

I threw the fork at his face, which Siebold unfortunately dodged.

"Mademoiselle! That is so very _unartistic!_"

"You told me to _not _eat _breakfast_." I am on the verge of strangling my wayward friend now. "And then you made me wait for _two whole hours_ under the hot sun-"

"It's so that you would have the proper motivation to take part in the special battles I have planned for you!" Siebold continue on his dramatic declaration as another bright ray of light shone down on him from… _somewhere_. His starmie must be hiding somewhere out of sight with Camouflage and providing the visual effects. There's no way I can spot his starmie with my naked eye but I know it _must _be here somewhere.

"I want you to be Restaurant Le Yeah's very first customer before we open ourselves to the public! And then Restaurant Le Yeah can then see which areas we can improve on by learning from your battles before we start operating for real!"

"_Two hours_, Siebold."

"It's only two hours, Nova." Siebold whipped his head a little to flip his weird looking hair back to its proper position. "Don't be too dramatic about the details."

I'm about to slap him senseless. I'm _hungry _and he is trying to make me _wait even longer_ by making me participate in pokemon battles in my famished state?!

"_Dramatic?!_ I will **_show _**you what dramatic _really _is-"

"Bring in the hors-d'oeuvre!"

A waiter professionally served a bruschetta with olives and mushrooms. Usually, I would be impressed at the level of professionalism displayed and how visually appetising the food is. After all, this is food that _Siebold _prepared. His skills as a trainer is as famous as his skills as a chef and he is notorious for being very particular about _every single detail_.

However, I'm downright _hungry **and **angry_. **_Hangry_**.

Siebold pointed to the waiter who just served me the hors-d'oeuvre.

"To enjoy the hors-d'oeuvre at its best, the mademoiselle must beat George in a single battle in _exactly _one minute and fifty seven seconds! Of course, George won't make it easy! He will try to waste your precious time and you will have to try your best to finish the battle in _exactly _one minute and fifty seven seconds to appreciate the hors-d'oeuvre at its _perfect _taste! On your feet, mademoiselle! To the battlefield we go!"

"Siebold. I'm _hungry_. You don't keep your customers _starving_."

Siebold, being the jerk he is, never listened a word.

**"To the battlefield we go!"**

* * *

"That battle ended too soon, Nova!" Siebold half-whined as I devoured the hors-d'oeuvre with a vengeance. My garchomp, Core, is by my side and gnawing at some gigantic bone-like pokemon treat I all but demanded from the kitchen. I called out Core to battle for me because he is the one with the most firepower on my team who can finish the battles as soon as possible.

"You only took thirty seconds! To enjoy the hors-d'oeuvre at its _perfect _state, you are supposed to end the battle at _exactly _one minute and-"

"I. Am. **_Hungry_**." I growled louder than the din my stomach is making. The hors-d'oeuvre is too little to fill my still growling stomach. "Where's the Potage."

A waitress appeared before me this time, serving me the soup in an impeccable professional manner. Siebold does train his staff well.

"Ah, ah, Nova." Siebold grabbed onto my wrist so that I am unable to use the soup spoon to drink my soup. "To enjoy the Potage at its best and most _perfect _state, you need to defeat Talia here at _exactly _two minutes and-"

I let out a frustrated noise as I violently stood up from my chair, dragging a yelling Siebold along with me back to the arena for the mandatory side of pokemon battle. Core followed after us while wagging his thick tail, the gigantic bone-like treat still in his mouth as he brought it along like a puppy.

**_Why _**am I even allowing myself to be dragged along by Siebold's crazy arrangement of one course, one battle? I'm starving here!

"Serve the entire full course at once. Let's just get this over and done with."

"Non, _non_, **_non!_** Mademoiselle needs to finish the sequence of the full course in the _exact _order at the _exact _timing! To aim to eat each of the course at its best and _perfect _state is the entire artistic spirit behind the concept of Restaurant Le Yeah-"

"How about I make you go _yeah _by letting Core eat you if you don't shut up?"

**_Why _**am I even friends with him?

* * *

"Novaaaa! These aren't battles that you can simply bulldoze your way through! I know you are good in battles, but that battle was too short! _Timing_, Nova! The _exact **timing!**_ You cannot just _literally _bulldoze through your battles with _Bulldoze!_"

"We just did. Bulldoze is a very underrated move." I drink my soup with the perfect manners that befits a restaurant of this caliber. Core is now back to gnawing contently on his gigantic bone-like treat as he lay on the floor behind me. That treat had never left his mouth even during the previous battle.

I'm still hungry.

"Poisson. Now." I demanded the next course yet again. I have to say, Siebold is a _really _good chef. Even in the so-called _imperfect _state of the meal, the taste, smell, and sight of his food is already heavenly.

_"Novaaaa~"_

"Goodness! You are an _Elite Four!_" I did a strangling motion with my hands, appearance and manners be damned because of my hunger and frustration. There's no one else here to see us other than his employees anyway. _"Stop acting like a child!"_

"Try to aim for the _exact _timing~ Please~" Siebold threw a _tantrum _and pleaded from where he is sitting and flailing his limbs childishly on the floor.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, **_this _**person here is a member of Kalos Elite Four. How did I let him beat me in our conference? _How _did I lose to **_this _**man-child?

I facepalmed and sighed.

"Once, Siebold. Just once."

* * *

"See? Was the Poisson delicious?"

"I expect nothing less from anything made by your hands." I spoke calmly as I ate the Poisson with perfect manners. My stomach is finally not growling as much now that there is something of substance in it.

"Finally! The _perfect _timing! _Exactly _three minutes and fifteen seconds!" Siebold clapped his hands happily, a sight which I chose not to see lest it made something unknown within me snap and I accidentally murdered an Elite Four by mistake.

Core poked his nose in and did a loud sniff.

"Here you go." I gave him a small bite of the fish that I am eating. "Good job, boy."

"Did Core grow a little bigger since I last saw him?" Siebold asked curiously.

"Maybe." I shrugged as Core scarfed down the food in one gulp. "I see him everyday, so I wouldn't notice. He is a growing boy and garchomps take years to fully grow into a proper adult. He was just a baby when I got him."

Core grunted in agreement as he smacked his lips.

"Ready for the entree? Hit the _perfect _timing?" Siebold asked with twinkling eyes that are full of anticipation. I swear his starmie is still helping its trainer by providing light effects using its gem from _somewhere _in this restaurant. Camouflage is too useful a move when applied properly and Siebold's starmie is a master in that particular move. I can never forget how it _demolished _me with Camouflage when I first battled Siebold.

"Now that I'm not _starving_, yes." I crossed my arms and answered wryly. "It is because of things like these that I have trust issues when it comes to you, Siebold. Why are we even friends?"

"Novaaaaaa~"

I pinched the bridge of my nose as I closed my eyes, trying not to let out a sigh.

"Entree, Siebold. Just serve the entree."

* * *

"So, what are the things that you think Restaurant Le Yeah can do better?" Siebold questioned after I had finally went through the entire 7 course meal and is now finishing up my coffee.

"_First_, you don't _starve _your customer by making them _not _eat their _breakfast _and then make them wait under the _hot sun_ at Centrico Plaza for _two hours_." I replied, totally unamused at the ordeal I was forced to go through today.

"Oh, that part of today's experience was only applicable to you, Nova! Knowing how little importance you place on the artistic value of food, I have to find ways to motivate you to battle!"

I nearly splashed my hot coffee at his face upon hearing that.

"You-!"

"Any other details about your experience, Nova!" Siebold totally ignored me trying to strangle him. The only thing holding me back is the fact that Core is physically restraining me, seeing this sight too often to know where this is heading to next.

"_Exact_ details, Nova! Both the good and the bad! Did me not saying bonjour when you first came in ruin your perfect experience? Or did George placing the plate by one centimetre off center when he served you the hors-d'oeuvre ruined your appetite? Did your hunger made the food taste better? Or should I include-"

"If I didn't know for a fact that _you _were the one who prepared the food, I would have said that _you _ruined a supposedly beautiful experience."

"Nova~"

"Fine, fine." I resigned myself to my fate. Why did I even befriend him? What possessed me to? Why am I still sitting here? **_Why?_**

"Look, you know I'm no expert when it comes to fine dining, so I will just comment about my experience with the battles. I at least know _something _about that." I explained as I patted Core on the top of his head, who is now resting his big head on my lap like an adorable puppy. "If you really want to make your battles a true challenge, to try and make it difficult for your fans and loyal customers to hit your _perfect _and _exact _timing, there are better ways to do so."

"Oh?" Siebold is now obviously interested in what I have to say, his pencil and notebook at the ready.

"Have your employees use more status inducing moves. Make use of abilities like Sand Veil and Snow Cloak, change up the terrain. Make your customers' pokemon flinch constantly with moves like Headbutt or Fake Out. These things can definitely waste a lot of time and make it hard for your diners to achieve your perfect timing." I offered a few options that I can think of at the top of my head. "Don't allow trainers to have a chance to win the battle directly with a straightforward approach like Core's Bulldoze. That will be too easy."

"Oh, you are _absolutely _right!" Siebold exclaimed as his pencil scribbled furiously across his notebook. "The battles were too easy and straightforward!"

"Yes." I confirmed. "If your customers flock here because they want to experience the dining experience you want them to immerse themselves in, then make it challenging for them to do so. People will literally _die _for your food, Siebold, because your food are just that _good_. To challenge them to try and eat each course at the _perfect _state by ending the battle at the _exact _time would be a novel experience for them."

"As usual, your comments are so direct and to the point!" Siebold exclaimed dramatically once more, causing me to roll my eyes at his antics.

"Say, you are opening four restaurants all at the same time, right?"

"Oui!"

"So, is there an order of the restaurants to which your customers are supposed to compete in or…?"

Siebold's eyes widened to unimaginable proportions.

"Bien sûr!" Siebold exclaimed out loud. "I should have thought of something like this! Maybe I should have each of the restaurants set their battles to be at a certain difficulty level, from the easiest to the hardest! Catering to the level of each rank of trainers! Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Elite! Four restaurants each serving a different type of customer! And for those who want to experience the full course, they can start from the bottom up!"

"It will be good experience for any trainer starting out on their journey too." I nodded in thanks as one of the waiters refilled my cup of coffee. "They can use this opportunity to check if they truly reach the power expected at each stage of their supposed rank. I have a feeling that you will be raking in a lot of money with this concept you have for your restaurants, Siebold."

"Merci, Nova!" Siebold showed me a waterfall when he cried tears of joy. I simply closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose again to calm my rising blood pressure.

Siebold and his antics. This is a side of Siebold that Kalosians don't see unless you know him on a personal level. In public, he is always the calm and cool Water Specialist that every Kalosian knows. In private, he is a dramatic and annoying big baby.

It's like he has a double personality.

"I really wonder why I'm _still _friends with you, Siebold."

Siebold continues to cry tears of joy.

* * *

**AN: Since Kalos was designed with a flavour of French culture, I tried my best to write it into this story despite not having come into contact with anything French before. When it comes to France's culture, food was the first to come to mind for some reason. I'm not an expert on the French classical 7 course meal, but from what I know, this is what it should look like (credits to Google)**

**1\. ****Starter (hors d'oeuvre)**

**2\. ****Potage (soup)**

**3\. ****Poisson (fish)**

**4\. ****Entrée (entry of 1st meat course)**

**5\. ****Sorbet**

**6\. ****Salades (salad)**

**7\. ****Fromage (cheese)**

**8\. ****Desserts (fresh fruits & nuts)**

**9\. ****Cafe (coffee)**

**Depending on how strict you want to classify what exactly constitutes a 'course', what is a seven course meal may be considered as an eight or nine course meal by some, or at least that is what I understand from what I read. I'm not French, so I can only try my best to get the best facts that I think is true. If there's any factual mistake, I sincerely apologise (especially to any readers from France).**

**And in case you guys were wondering what are the meanings of the French terms Siebold was spewing towards the end, here are their translations:**

**Oui: Yes**

**Bien sûr: Of course**

**Merci: Thank you**

**Hope this chapter was entertaining enough.**

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**Siebold Bocuse, Age: 29, Male, Water Specialist, Kalos Elite Four**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Clawitzer, Male**

**2\. ****Starmie, Genderless**

**3\. ****Barbaracle, Male**

**4\. ****Gyarados, Male**

**5\. ****Blastoise, Female**

**6\. ****Jellicent, Female**

**7\. ****Greninja, Male**

**8\. ****Gastrodon, Male**


	3. Chapter 3- Story of the Kalos King

On the map, Geosenge Town is nothing of importance. It is the second smallest town of Kalos, lined with mysterious stones and encircled by strange ruins of old. The Town is located at the western part of Kalos and can only be accessed by two routes, namely Route 10 and Route 11. What's odd is that Route 10 is lined with countless stones in such numbers and arrays that it overwhelms anyone walking past it.

The sight just gives you goosebumps, period.

However, years of trying to uncover the truth behind the story of both the Kalos War and the Kalos King always point me here somehow. No matter what point of angle I approach the myth from and no matter what clue I found, I always found myself back here. I had been to this backwater town many times, but each time I went back empty handed.

Now I'm back here again. Out of the many dusty rusty boxes that I brought back the other day, I found an ancient drawing within one of them that talks a little about the Kalos King. Whatever little clues on it pointed me back here to Geosenge Town.

There's honestly nothing of interest here other than the unusual rock structures at the centre of the town. I had even asked the locals here and even they don't know what these rock structures, also known as menhirs, are here for, only that they had been here even before Geosenge Town was founded.

At this point, I know that there _has _to be something in Geosenge Town. All my clues point me back to this place, it cannot be a coincidence. Problem is, _what _is in here? What history lies here in Geosenge Town, waiting to be unearthed?

Out of habit, I looked through the various clues and ancient texts that I had found and stored in my Holo Caster as hologram images. I was born with a photographic memory in this world and I considered myself lucky for it, but no matter how I try to recall I cannot remember any clue that might point me further _beyond_ coming to Geosenge Town.

Is Geosenge Town a dead end or an end point?

My feet subconsciously carried me back to the centre of Geosenge Town with Berg, Tinen, and Solid walking by my side. I placed my hand on one of the stone spires standing erect in the town center, wondering just what secrets it holds.

It couldn't be here simply as decoration, does it? Why didn't the founders of the town move it away or break it down when they first built Geosenge Town here? Why build the town around the stones? Why the hassle?

Too bad there's nothing I can do to find out more about it because there are no more clues to trace.

"I heard from Lysandre that you came here again."

The sound of a familiar voice got me to turn my head, and I brightened up the moment I spotted who it was.

"Malva!"

Malva and I greeted each other in a hug. Malva is a close friend of my uncle and I had seen her many times since my childhood. She's like a big sister figure to me. The both of us often bond in the shared pain of dealing with Siebold's weird antics and also talk about girl stuff in general. She would share what she did in her job as a news reporter and I would tell her what new history about our region that I recently uncovered. We often help each other look out for things that might interest the other.

"Looking for clues on the Kalos King again?" Malva asked as she looked at the stone structures. "Found anything new?"

"No." I sighed. "All my clues point me here but there's nothing to find here."

The two of us ended up finding a cafe to rest and simply talk. Malva brought up a topic that caught my interest.

"Team Flare?"

"That's what Lysandre is planning to name it." Malva nodded. "A non-governmental organisation that is secretly funded by Lysandre Labs, with the sole goal of trying to make the world a beautiful place. Scientists, trainers, inventors, anyone who shares the same ideals, he will welcome them with open arms."

"Couldn't he had picked a better name?" I raised an eyebrow upon hearing this news. "It sounds like a villain group if you ask me. Team Rocket, Team Magma, Team Aqua, you get my drift."

"Then it's up to him to show the world that Team Flare is different, no?" Malva replied. "Unlike many others, Lysandre still hasn't given up hope yet. He still thinks that it's still possible to make the world beautiful. Eternal beauty, that's what Team Flare is trying to bring to the world."

"This world _is_ already beautiful." I gave my reply. "Uncle's standards are just too high. I know he means well for the world, but what he is chasing is an ideal, not a realistic possibility. Beautiful things often don't last, but that's also why they are beautiful. If there aren't any ugly things in this world, how else will we know what is beautiful? It's because of the unfortunate ugly things that we know how to appreciate the beautiful things around us, right?"

"You and your philosophical talk." Malva shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder what's in that head of yours."

"Logical and rational reasoning that I use to view facts in an objective and unbiased manner." I gave my smooth reply as I sipped on my coffee. "Basically, using the thought processes of a historian to piece the most logical picture. You should try it out sometime."

Malva slipped me an old and tattered book that she took out from her handbag.

"I was reporting on an interview with Dr Handel in Lumiose, your previous history professor. He told me some interesting things he found on the Kalos King just yesterday and told me to pass it to you since everyone knows how interested you are in that tale."

I picked the book up, only to find many images drawn on it as if trying to tell a story. The colours have nearly faded completely and some pages are obviously missing.

"A picture book?"

"Dr Handel is guessing that what he just received from an archeology team was probably what was a children's picture book. A picture book parents use to tell their children about the tale of the Kalos King. Dr Handel said that it might or might not provide some insight for you. You can also keep it since he is more interested in other parts of Kalos history like you already knew."

"For a children's picture book, this is surprisingly detailed and well drawn." I commented as I slowly flipped through the pages. "It may be more than just a simple picture book."

"Have fun trying to crack its secrets." Malva said in a silky voice. "If there's even any secret to it at all."

"The Kalos War, huh?" I wondered out loud as I flipped to the page where two pages merged into one single picture of a full blown war, humans and pokemon each taking their respective sides. "Definitely about the Kalos King."

"I need to get going now. Elite Four duties and all that." Malva excused herself as she stood up from her chair. "Have fun with reading the picture book."

"Have fun dealing with Siebold."

"Please don't remind me about that man-child."

"That was the whole point, Malva."

* * *

It's late at night. I'm in my own room, lying on my bed with the book Malva had gave me resting on my lap.

A picture book about the story of the Kalos King, huh? I know Dr Handel is not interested in this tale because many find it to be just a myth. There are no concrete scientific or historical evidence that were uncovered so far that can help prove that such a thing had really happened before in Kalos' history. If it did, someone did a very thorough wipe of our region's history books for there to be so little clues left for us to scavenge.

I turned on my night lamp and flipped the book open. What greeted me was pictures with a line of ancient text inserted artistically into the pictures that narrates the story. I had learnt a few commonly encountered ancient languages by exploiting my photographic memory, so reading the ancient text on its own like that is no problem for me.

I began to read the picture book.

_"Once, a man, he had a pokemon he loved very much."_

The first page was of a drawing of a tall man with long black hair holding a small floette in his hands. Their faces were happy. The man drawn is the Kalos King.

_"But an age of war had begun"_

The next few pages were filled with numerous drawings of armies of pokemon fighting each other. There was a steelix firing a Hyper Beam, easily killing a small group of pokemon. Huge fires raged in the background and smoke filled the skies. Devastating attacks that easily levelled buildings were fired. Moves that devastated the environment were carelessly used.

For a supposed picture book meant for children, it is surprisingly detailed and graphic. I'm starting to think that this is no mere picture book.

_"During the fierce fighting, his dear pokemon was sent to the battlefield."_

The next few pages was of the floette leaving the man, a sad expression on its face.

_"Several years later, he was given a tiny box."_

The very next page was the man looking at a small coffin. His eyes were soulless. The floette must have died in the war, similar to the bedtime story that I was told by my parents about the Kalos King.

_"No matter what it took, he wanted to bring his pokemon back. So he built a machine to give it life, and brought back his beloved pokemon. The pokemon lived again through the power of eternal life."_

The next page is something which I had never seen before. A drawing of a tall crystalline structure that is broad at the bottom but narrow at the top, with a surge of bright light shining right at the top of the structure. The page after that had a revived floette drawn on it.

At this point, I cannot help but take a pause and think.

The possibility of eternal life, a part of Kalos' history and the story of the Kalos King that many found it to be a myth. Most people believed that the Kalos War did happen, but nobody believed in such a thing as eternal life and revival of the dead.

But this is the world of pokemon. To me, such things may very well be possible because I knew this world used to be a fictional world. In a fictional world, anything is possible.

When a world once fiction becomes your reality, then anything in reality is possible. What's possible and what's not is only affected by your sense of perception.

I sighed and opted to continue reading the story that I had long since memorised. At least this time, there are pictures to go with it.

_"However, the man had suffered too much, and his rage still had not subsided."_

The next page showed a dark look in the man's eyes.

_"He could not forgive the world who had hurt the pokemon he loved. So he took the machine, and turned it into an ultimate weapon."_

The next page showed yet another drawing that I had never seen before in any historical documents. The crystalline structure in the previous pages actually opened up like a flower, a beam of energy at its center. If this book's account is accurate, then this should be the true form and appearance of the "ultimate weapon" that is so prevalent in the bedtime stories of the Story of the Kalos King.

A flower built in remembrance of the man's floette. It's fitting, and it goes to show how much the Kalos King loved his floette. If the book is drawn simply based on the artist's impression and imagination of what went on in the Kalos War, then he or she must have a very vivid imagination.

I continue to read the book.

_"The man became a bringer of destruction."_

The next page showed the beam of energy being fired and landed onto the warzone, bringing about untold destruction. The huge ball of fire drawn reminded me a lot of how a nuclear explosion would have looked like.

I'm glad that I wasn't born into this world 3,000 years ago into that era.

_"And he ended the war."_

I flip to the next page, which shows nothing but a barren wasteland.

_"The pokemon that was given life must have known, that the lives of many-"_

This is the part with the missing pages. Only part of the text that narrate the story remained. It's like the pages with the drawings that goes with the narration was purposely ripped off. Even without the missing text, I knew what it was supposed to say. Every Kalosian would know from the bedtime story.

The lives of many pokemon were used to revive the pokemon that was loved by the Kalos King.

I continue to read the picture book.

_"The pokemon that had returned to life left the man."_

The floette floated into the sky, a sad expression on its face once more. However, this time, it left on its own volition. The man had his hand reached out, trying to grab onto the floette and trying to get it to remain by his side but to no avail.

The floette floated away until it is a small speck in the sky. The man is now all alone.

_"Now, he continues to wander eternally, still searching for his pokemon."_

The last page of the book was a picture of the back of the man drawn with him walking down a lonely and barren path. All that is left is the utter destruction that the ultimate weapon had caused. This is also where the story of the Kalos King end, the full tale of the bedtime story that every Kalosian would know by heart.

The moral of the story is to warn people of the horrors of war so that we wouldn't make the same mistakes. People view the idea of eternal life explored in the story to be an exaggeration, an addition to a possibly factual part of Kalos' history which is the Kalos War, all to make it more mysterious. Everyone knows that eternal life is impossible to achieve, so they reasoned that part of the tale must be false.

Is it really though?

It's not like there aren't any picture books available in the present day that tells the Story of the Kalos King, but this is probably the oldest one in Kalos. This book is at least a thousand years old and that is a very conservative estimate. The book is also incredibly well-preserved. I had no idea how Malva managed to convince Dr Handel to part with the book and give it to me, but she had always been a doting big sister figure. Her status as an Elite Four also gave her a huge degree of influence in Kalos, so I shouldn't be too surprised.

No one truly knows how the ultimate weapon looked like, so there are many interpretations of it drawn in all sorts of ways. However, this is the first time I had seen a drawing of the ultimate weapon to possess a structure similar to those of a blooming flower. Was the artist simply that imaginative, or did he really saw how the ultimate weapon really look like?

Also, what about the missing pages? Why were they ripped out? Was there something drawn on those pages that someone doesn't want anyone to find out? Maybe I'm thinking too much and that it was ripped off by accident?

Why am I so bothered by the missing pages? Why does this book keep giving me the feeling that I am missing something crucial? Am I really overthinking things?

No, my gut feeling as a historian is telling me that whatever is bothering me is something I have to find out. So, _what _is that something?

I idly flipped the picture book from front to back and from back to front numerous times. There's something _off _with the book that made me keep thinking about it all day long.

Had I seen it somewhere before? No, I would definitely had remembered about it if this were the case. Is there anything in the book that was drawn that could give me clues as to where the present location of the supposed Kalos War was held in the past? No, at least none that I can identify. It's another dead end.

The drawings though… It really was surprisingly detailed and believable, like the artist for the book had been through the entire ordeal. I can feel myself immersed in the world the artist had drawn simply by looking at the pictures. The pictures are just that lifelike and believable.

I checked the book to see if the name of the artist and the author was written on it. I only managed to find something after going back to the very first page. Right at the very bottom were two ancient symbols that when translated into the english language that everyone is using today, spells out the alphabets 'AZ'.

Initials of the author, perhaps?

The initials of the author consisting of the letter 'A', the first letter of the alphabet and also 'Z', the last letter of the alphabet gives off a poetic feeling, considering the content of the story of the Kalos King. The beginning and the end. Where something starts, it will end. When something ends, something else will be born anew. There is no eternal life, but the meaning of eternal can take form in more ways than one.

Really reminds me of my uncle's belief in eternal beauty.

My uncle's belief in building a beautiful world that can stay beautiful for eternity is too idealistic for me, because I don't see any beauty in eternal. The pursuit of eternity probably won't end too well for anyone, like how the story of the Kalos King ended. To wander for eternity alone, searching for that one thing that left you because of the price you used to bring it back. How lonely is that? How is eternity beautiful in this regard?

Sure, the death of the Kalos King's pokemon was sad, but I'm sure that there are many happy times that they shared before the war broke out. Instead of giving eternal life to his pokemon against its will, forcing it to walk the earth forever without rest, shouldn't he had just cherished the brief yet beautiful moment that they shared?

Eternity may seem to be a blessing at first but it can also very well be a curse. To see everyone around you grow old and die, leaving you alone in the world, how lonely is that? Is eternity truly beautiful in this regard?

To some, maybe _that_ is considered beautiful, but not for me. Things are beautiful because they don't stay the same forever. If they do, we grow used to it and expect more and when that happens, things start to get ugly from there. When everything becomes beautiful, nothing is beautiful. Because there is a comparison, we then came up with the notion of ugly and beautiful. To remake all the ugly things in the world into beautiful ones is to kill the very concept of beautiful.

Hence, we should all count our blessings. Every single beautiful thing and moment in this world is to be cherished because we never know when things might turn ugly, like how war separated the Kalos King and his pokemon.

My uncle is a stubborn man when it counts, especially when it comes to his beliefs. I just hope that my uncle's pursuit of eternal beauty doesn't lead him down the deep end, but he seems fine to me thus far.

Still, I'm going to have a talk with him about this 'Team Flare' first thing tomorrow morning. I don't know if Kalos was a 'canon' region in the games in my previous life because I never got that far, but Team Flare's name itself really gives me the villain vibe that comes with all the pokemon games that I know of in my previous life.

Hopefully, I'm wrong about this.

* * *

**AN: The narration of the story was taken from the Pokemon Generations episode, Redemption. The idea of having a picture book came from me watching that episode and I thought that it would be interesting to have a picture book version instead of watching it through a video. The imagery described here are also all referenced to what is shown in the Redemption episode.**

**Hope you enjoyed the story.**

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**


	4. Chapter 4- Team Flare

"Change the name?"

"Yes, I know you have a flair for the dramatic, uncle, but that name really sounds like a name reserved for a villain team. Team Rocket? Team Magma? Team Aqua? Or the recently emerged Team Galactic that just attacked Sunyshore in Sinnoh? Ring a bell?"

"Nonsense!" My uncle snorted as we continue to eat our breakfast in our luxurious apartment. "Team Flare is built by me to help make the world a better and beautiful place! It's **_not _**a terrorist organisation!"

"Define better and beautiful." I pressed on, because I know better than anyone how one-track my uncle's mind can be. It also doesn't help that he can be extremely stubborn when it comes to his vision of his perfect world. I know I'm being irrational here, but I'm just afraid that if things with my uncle are not handled properly, he might get out of hand.

I read too much of our lands' history to know that it's often the people who started off with the best of intentions that ended up being the worst villains. The most famous example is the Kalos King.

I'm worried because my uncle has no concept or notion of stopping when things get too far. Look at how he spoils me on a regular basis. I have blocks of luxurious apartments from all over the region under my name, buying posh cars for me that I never used, the money in my bank account is filled by my uncle with too many zeroes to count even if I told him I earn enough as a historian, putting me as the co-owner of Lysandre Labs even when I had done absolutely nothing for the company, and many else.

"Eternal beauty, that's what Team Flare is striving for." My uncle spoke while eating his hard boiled egg. "I know you and I don't agree with this idea of '_eternal beauty'_, Nova, but all I have in mind is to let Team Flare help humanity using only the right ways. If someone doesn't do anything right now, tragedies will happen. I cannot do this alone, so I created Team Flare to help me with it. Malva is in it too."

"Tragedies?" I asked because I'm confused. "Like?"

My uncle drank a little from his cup before continuing.

"You didn't see what I see, Nova. I don't blame you for that because the ugly things that I saw is what I'm trying to protect you from. You didn't deal with all the shortsighted idiots in our Government up there, the fools with no vision but are placed in positions of high power. Tell me, what is the biggest problem Kalos is facing?"

"Overpopulation, which leads to a strain of our natural resources. The Kalos Power Plant was built so many years ago precisely for this purpose, to ensure that we have enough electricity to go around the region because a shortage of power was what we had foreseen should our population continues to grow. Our present situation showed us that building the power plant was the right decision to make."

"That's it." My uncle 'bingo' me as he pointed at me with his fork. "Because of our overpopulation problem, we often have not enough resources to go around. My years of working in the corporate world and the things I have seen during my time as a trainer led me to believe in one thing, Nova. This is something you should know."

"And that is?"

"At their core, humans are inherently evil and greedy, we need to accept that as a fact." My uncle said solemnly. "When something cannot be shared, they will fight over it. Someone will have to live with it and some without. Tragedies happen because of that. There are many ugly battles fought behind closed doors by our leaders, Nova. It's not a pretty sight. Because resources are scarce, they are fought over."

My uncle pointed upwards to the ceiling light above us.

"Take the allocation of electricity produced by the Kalos Power Plant as an example. Every town and city in Kalos is always fighting for the rights to be allocated with more electricity every year, because there is simply not enough."

_"Not **enough?**"_

"Yes, even with the power plant, there is still barely enough electricity to meet our region's demand." My uncle cut me off when a look of disbelief crossed my face, because this is the _Kalos Power Plant _we are talking about. "This is something the Government wants to hide because it may cause a mass panic if this fact was made public. If this weakness is known to the world and another region wants to cripple Kalos with immediate effect, all they have to do is to launch a full scale attack on our power plant."

"Another region _attacking _us? _A war?_"

"Not in the foreseeable future, but if you are the President of Kalos, you will need to always consider the worst case scenario, right? A global war not happening yet doesn't mean that it will never happen again in the future."

"True." I accepted my uncle's explanation with a sigh.

"This problem came about because there are too many people to feed." My uncle continues to explain the unseen problem plaguing our region. "Our Government already had their hands full with all the infighting and disagreement, we cannot count on them to resolve this problem in time. If we do, it will be too late. Everything will culminate in one big tragedy if nothing is done. Kalos will be finished."

My uncle gently held my hand from where he is sitting opposite me across the table before he speaks again.

"So, Team Flare's purpose is to help regulate that evil by finding ways to ensure that there are enough resources to go around the world, so that people will not need to fight over it when it cannot be shared. Through doing that, tragedies can be avoided. When all tragedies are avoided, the world can then be beautiful for eternity."

"But how the world grow and learn without tragedies?" I questioned as I averted my gaze. "I know this sounds… wrong, but it is because of tragedies that happened, like the Kalos War told about in the story of the Kalos King, that we learned something from it. It is because of such tragedies happening that our civilisation got to where we are today. If no tragedies happen… How will humanity continue to grow? How will we learn? We will simply be stagnant. Is that beautiful?"

"... Do you wish tragedy upon the world?"

"No!" I exclaimed. "But… a 'perfect' world of eternal beauty may not be what the world needs, uncle. I'm not saying that your ideals are wrong or the vision of Team Flare is wrong, but something about what you said just does not sit right with me. Humanity got to where we are today because of our pursuit for perfection and eternal beauty, but what happens when that pursuit stops? What happens when everything becomes perfect? Will that be really perfect? Is that truly beautiful?"

"You really are a bright and kind child, Nova." My uncle sighed as he patted the top of my head as though I am a six-year-old once more. "No, I don't think you are wrong, just as I don't think I am wrong either, but something _needs _to be done to help Kalos. I've done the math with the help of my scientists. At the rate our citizens are using our resources, problems will surface by the next decade."

"... That soon?"

"I told you. Already, electricity is a huge problem." My uncle dragged a tired palm across his face. "Since the Kalos Power Plant is starting to have problems producing enough power to sustain Kalos, there are talks about building another power plant, but such an endeavour will be extremely costly. Building the Kalos Power Plant took a lot out of our region's treasury reserves and I don't think it had fully recovered yet. Do you know why Kalos faces a power shortage problem? Even with our Kalos Power Plant, said to rival even the one in Hoenn's New Mauville?"

I shook my head.

"Selfishness. Needless wastage. Look, Nova." My uncle spread his right arm and pointed to the window, showing the scene outside. "Needless usage of electricity and our resources on extravagant and frivolous things. Look at all the street lamps that we don't need. The amount of wastage left behind after every Pokemon Contest was held. The many water fountains dotting our city that has no purpose than to look pretty. I can tolerate and understand for one or two of those, but surely we don't need _fifty _of them in our city? Sure, we don't pollute the environment, but we are still taking more than what mother nature can give us. So, if we can't change the ugly side of human nature, then there's only one thing that we can do to ensure that humanity will continue to survive while also making sure that the world remains beautiful."

My uncle took a brief pause before continuing.

"We generate more resources to sustain ourselves. That's why the company is so invested in creating new technology that focus so much on helping mankind. That's why your parents invented the Holo Caster, an energy efficient device that also revolutionise the way we communicate by bringing hologram technology to everyone. Hologram technology alone can revolutionise the way things are done in many fields. Medical, transport, communication, research, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Your parents' Holo Caster doesn't even need to rely on electricity but rather draw its energy from the sun using solar cells. Do you see the beauty in it? _This_, is what Lysandre Labs and Team Flare is all about. Everything your parents and I are doing, it is to help Kalos and the world."

"You already said that we are taking more than what mother nature can give." I asked. "So how are you planning to generate more resources?"

"There are obscure tales of energy derived from pokemon, Nova. Bioenergy so potent and strong that it could possibly last us for eternity."

_Bioenergy derived from pokemon?_

"I had submitted a proposal to the Government for us to embark on two projects, which I named Project X and Project Y respectively. Project X will focus on researching how this bioenergy come about in the first place. Once complete, Project Y will find out what is the best way to safely harness this energy for commercial use. If the two projects are a success, Kalos will no longer need to concern herself with energy scarcity, because the energy we are generating is near infinity. The scientists at the company call it the Infinity Energy."

My uncle obviously became more excited as he went on.

"Of course, I'm not planning to let Kalos or the company hoard the benefits all for ourselves. I'm also planning to share the results and the fruits of our labour to the entire world. Joseph Stone, the owner of Devon Corporations, is also a man striving to make the world a better place with his company's products. If all goes well, maybe our two companies can even embark on a joint venture to harness this Infinity Energy. Together, we can help the world."

"I'm hoping that the pokemon in question that is being experimented on-"

"What do you take me for? A heartless madman?" My uncle rolled his eyes at my statement. "Don't worry, we will make sure that the pokemon we are experimenting on will not be harmed in any way."

"If you don't mind me asking, what is this bioenergy derived from pokemon all about?"

"I'm sorry, Nova, but I cannot reveal anything more to you because it will be against the law to do so." My uncle apologise sincerely. "All I can tell you is that the bioenergy my scientists and I recently uncovered is a big secret that the Pokemon World League had been hiding since its founding. It's discovery by the company was entirely by accident, and I would have unknowingly gotten myself into big trouble by revealing the company's findings to the public. If it wasn't for Malva who coincidentally popped by the company just before I was about to publish what we found, things would have gotten out of hand."

"And _Malva _knows about the secret obviously way before you do because…?"

"Because she is let in on such a secret as an Elite Four. Your friend, Siebold, should know about it too." My uncle answered smoothly. "If my proposal for Project X and Project Y is approved by the Government, maybe you can also be let into the loop. After all, you are the co-owner of Lysandre Labs."

"I didn't even do anything for the company."

"You don't need to." My uncle waved it off. "Just enjoy your life however you want to. Learning more about our region's and our world's history is equally important. Earning big bucks isn't as cracked up as people made it to be. Sure, earning enough is important, but beyond that? It really depends. Just go do what makes you happy."

"I'm more interested about learning that _secret_. A secret kept by the PWL for _centuries_? Now that is a history I want to investigate." I can feel my excitement bubbling at the thought. Just what secret is it that the PWL had been hiding from the public for centuries and it happens to tie into my uncle's work on researching this Infinity Energy? _Bioenergy derived from pokemon? **How?**_

"Like I said, if all goes well, you can." My uncle finished his meal at about the same time I finished mine. "Even the PWL don't know for sure where the origins of the secret came from. Many suspect it to be our region, but nobody knows for sure. Maybe you will be the one to uncover the truth of its history."

"My name on the history books for uncovering the origin of that secret. Now _that _will be a beautiful thing to behold."

"Someone's being narcissistic today, I see."

"Please." I snorted. "It runs in the family. How long do you take to style your ridiculous hair every morning?"

"I'm disowning you."

My reply was to stick my tongue out at him.

"Meh, you love me too much to do it."

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**Lysandre Labelle, Age: 52, Male, Owner of Lysandre Labs, Uncle of Nova Labelle**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Pyroar**

**2\. ****Gyrados**

**3\. ****Mienshao**

**4\. ****Honchkrow**


	5. Chapter 5- Rumble

I am back here at Geosenge Town, trying to see if there is anything that I had missed out from my previous visits. Something's telling me that Geosenge Town is the key to discovering the truth behind the story of the Kalos King. I don't even know why I am so interested in this bedtime story that may or may not be fictional, but something in my gut, call it my gut instinct if you have to, is telling me that getting to the truth of the history behind this tale is necessary.

"When I gave you that bone, I wasn't expecting you to keep it along with that old one."

Tinen huffed at me in mock anger as if offended by my words, holding both her bones close to her chest protectively. I don't think a Rare Bone is supposed to be used as a weapon for the marowak species, but Tinen used it as such anyway.

Because Tinen kept her old bone and the new one, I now have a dual-wielding marowak walking by my side. Tinen's choice of weaponry made an odd sight and we drew the curious looks from the passers-by around us because of what Tinen did.

My claydol, Vision, floated idly beside me as we closely inspected the menhirs in the centre of the city. My gut feeling as a historian tells me that these weird stone structures arranged in a circle must be the key to unravelling the truth behind the story of the Kalos King. My instinct had never been wrong before.

However, even with Vision's psychic powers, not even he can find anything out of the ordinary with it. Either there's really nothing unusual about the menhirs, or there's something here that can evade even Vision's psychic senses.

We decided to take a break after we finished inspecting every nook and cranny of the menhirs only to find nothing. We ended up taking a walk near Route 11, the route that connects Geosenge Town and Reflecting Cave. This route is also known as the Miroir Way because the numerous crystals sprouting from the ground acts very much like a mirror with how clearly it shows your reflection. The same crystals lined every wall of the Reflection Cave and this sight was how the Reflection Cave was named as such.

I don't recommend those who get dizzy easily to visit Reflection Cave simply because of the number of reflections you can see there.

Route 11 is built into the mountainside centuries ago when a path needs to be cleared to connect Geosenge Town and Shalour City through the Reflection Cave. The many crystals lining the Route attracts many mining companies to come here and mine the beautiful crystal ores. To protect the natural habitat and prevent practices of overmining, regulations have been put in place on how frequent and how much crystal ores can be mined from Route 11 and the Reflection Cave. Furthermore, the natural habitat of pokemon cannot be disturbed.

If there's one thing in this world that is done right that my previous world didn't, it is how proactive people of this world is when it comes to protecting the environment. If I have to think deeper about this issue, it is probably a course of action born out of necessity. What happens if humans drive all the wild pokemon out from their homes due to their activities in gathering more resources? Pokemon will eventually set their sights on human settlements and attack it, be it out of desperation for food and shelter or something else.

Pokemon are not animals. They are not only a lot smarter, they also possess the ability to easily cause widespread destruction. Keeping wild pokemon happy and content is a necessity so that pokemon-human conflicts can be kept at a minimum and thereby, protecting the peace between us. This peace is protected by carefully maintaining the balance between human and pokemon.

I can already see excavators silently mining the crystal ores littering Route 11. I can see pokemon like the graveler and machoke species helping the workers out. I can see machineries and workers belonging to two different companies working on this route. Maybe they have a shared license they got from the Government to mine the crystals here together?

I know that the crystals on Route 11 can naturally replenish itself due to how special the earth in the area is. They literally 'grew' from the ground when water comes into contact with the earth here. Natural crystals are formed from molten liquid rock and cooled, but the composition of the earth here is so unique that simply watering it will help it grow crystals over time. The entire crystal growing process here takes time, maybe about a year or two to have any visible results, but it is a miracle in itself that crystals can be grown so easily. The soil here is just that unique.

Despite Route 11 being carved into a mountainous area that goes all the way up to the entrance of Reflection Cave, plant life flourish at the lower part of the route. Grass and colourful flowers dotted the lower half of Route 11 while the upper half is a barren and rocky slope, purposely created for hikers and trainers alike to get into Reflection Cave and travel through it to reach Shalour City. If civilians want to travel between Shalour and Geosenge, they can either use the boat services that brings them around the coastal areas of western Kalos or fly overhead with hot air balloons. Roads are not created for civilians to travel on at this part of Kalos because of the hassle that comes with maintaining them and ensuring that wild pokemon does not destroy it, be it on purpose or accident. Too much manpower from the Rangers will be needed to protect the road if that were the case. It's just not cost efficient.

Hence, travel through sea and air it is. Water and flying type pokemon are often employed by the service providers to help protect the boats and balloons during the entire journey. There are many inconveniences that living with pokemon brought about in this world, but humans and pokemon still managed to work with each other relatively well.

I see small little snouts poking out from the ground and I cannot help but give an amused smile. Young sandiles from the wild are watching us curiously, or to be more precise, watching _me_ curiously. I know my presence attract ground types to me for some reason, but I still cannot help but be amused whenever I see such behaviour from wild ground types.

If sandiles are here, wild krokorok and maybe the rare krookodile are definitely nearby. They don't let their young wander too far away from them.

My suspicion was proven right when the ground to my front right crumbled open to reveal a large krookodile burrowing its way out from the earth. It looked and stared in my direction for a short moment while I simply waved a wordless hello. The krookodile merely snorted back a greeting before lying flat on its belly on the ground before opening its large jaws to sunbathe. Since the krookodile species are cold-blooded reptiles, it cannot control its body temperature very well. Absorbing the heat of the sunrays through its opened jaws is its best way to help regulate its body temperature.

The young sandiles soon made their way to the krookodile and followed its example, getting out of the ground to bask in the sun's rays. From how unaffected the mining workers and their pokemon are at this sight, it must be a common occurrence for them.

After all, the normal reaction a person should have when they see a wild krookodile emerging from the ground is to run. They are not exactly the most friendliest of pokemon.

I am more interested in why the krookodile and its young are here. From what I know, their homes are at Route 9. While it is not impossible for them to travel here to Route 11 from Route 9, the distance between the two routes is still considerably huge. They basically travelled from southern Kalos all the way to the northwestern part of the region. Surely they didn't come all the way here just to sunbathe?

A lone sandile waddled its way to me with big curious eyes instead of joining its family. From how the krookodile parent only opened a lazy eye to watch it before closing it again to continue basking in the sun, either it doesn't really care about what the sandile plans to do with me, or simply trust me enough with its young.

"Hey there, little one." I squatted down to greet the sandile, scratching the bottom of its jaw with a hand when I'm sure it won't bite my hand off. The sandile should be a very young one given how small it is in size as compared to the rest of its family. Must be a newborn. It would explain its curiosity.

The sandile gave a happy rumble from its throat and closed its eyes to enjoy the sensation of me scratching its jaws. I can see some of the workers sending me curious looks. Some had a look of disbelief plastered on their face and I can understand why. Sandiles don't just let anyone touch them without trying to first bite their hands off. They have a notorious reputation for a reason. People give them a wide berth when they spot them in the wild because their species and its evolutionary line are ferocious in nature. They are the type to attack first, then talk later.

Thankfully, this species of pokemon don't usually attack others unless provoked. I guess this is why the miners are not mining the area where the krookodile and its young are now sunbathing at. That spot is probably their favourite spot to sunbathe and they probably appear there very frequently.

"Why are you and your family doing all the way out here instead of staying at Route 9 with the rest of your kind?" I started a one-sided conversation with the young sandile as it cocked its head to a side. It probably doesn't know what Route 9 is, but it should already be intelligent enough to know what I'm asking about.

There was another rumble from its throat.

"More food here?" I hummed in thought when I somehow understood what the sandile is rumbling about. This is a part of me that I never understood even until now. I don't even know how I came to have this ability to understand ground types, even if just partially.

"Look out!"

There was a loud crash that immediately got everyone to look upwards from where the sound originated from. Not far ahead, a rocky ledge above us had gave way and broke. The excavator and all the workers on that ledge are now falling.

"Vision! Tinen!"

My claydol and marowak had immediately dashed forward upon my orders as I simultaneously released my entire team around me.

"Help Vision and Tinen! Soften the ground! Catch the falling people! Shield those at the bottom!"

Tinen is already using her two bones to expertly bat away or break the falling rocks to prevent it from hurting the people and pokemon right below the rocky ledge. Vision is using its psychic powers to catch who it can while blasting beams of energy to destroy any falling debris. The rest of my pokemon got into action as well. The not so mobile ones like Seis and Terra stayed behind to soften the ground at the affected area ahead with a modified version of Earth Power while the faster ones moved to help rescue who they can.

"Jaws! Sail! Stone Edge!"

My two prehistoric pokemon raised walls of stones that shielded the people below from harm, creating a bunker of solid rock for them to huddle in. Anyone that my pokemon cannot shield or get away in time, my gigalith, Mantle, shot the debris about to hit them with Power Gem so that they can land on the softened ground without any injuries.

The entire ordeal probably took about a few seconds before it settled down, but the scare factor made me feel like it had lasted a few minutes. From the relieved faces of the workers who had also witnessed the same thing, they probably felt the same feeling too.

The supervisor of the miners that we saved thanked me profusely for my help, even giving me a sizable crystal ore as thanks. That doesn't stop the supervisor from the _other _mining company from chewing out the one whose workers and pokemon were nearly fatally injured from the accident.

"You _cannot _mine that area! The license we got from the Government said so! It will result in overmining and look what happened when you dig too much! We agreed to split the approved mining ground fifty-fifty within the demarcated area! That ledge was _beyond _that area!"

"But I need to meet the mining quota set by my higher-ups! There's not enough crystals!"

"I'm having problems trying to meet my own quota too but you don't see my breaking the law!" The other supervisor huffed angrily. "The next time, I won't hesitate to report you to the authorities! Seriously, if it wasn't for the lady there, you would be in hot soup!"

_"Tell me, what is the biggest problem Kalos is facing?"_

_"Overpopulation, which leads to a strain of our natural resources." _

The conversation that I had with my uncle rang in my mind. Kalos is known for the production of its luxury goods since there is a huge demand for it. Just look at how much we value our precious crystals here. Our culture is a little more flamboyant and extravagant, which might explain Kalosians' love for pretty things. The crystals mined here are often turned into luxury goods because of that. When there's demand for a certain thing, there will be people who will find ways to supply it in order to make a profit.

But when there's not enough of the supply and demand is still going strong, people will find ways to get more of it somehow, like what one of the supervisors did by placing some of his workers on a dangerous rocky ledge to mine for more resources, even if it is supposedly illegal to do so, even when doing so will hurt our environment and everyone living in it.

"Let's go." I whispered to my pokemon, not wanting to get caught up in this mess.

This is a small example of what my uncle had told me about. He had always been a farsighted man when it comes to his passion to help the world, although I think that he is always a little too shortsighted with the methods he tend to employ. Even then, his worry is not an unfounded one.

I heard Tinen giving a frustrated grunt from behind me. Everyone turned around to see what's going on.

I nearly burst out laughing at the sight. The young sandile from earlier is using its jaws to clamp onto one of Tinen's bones and is determined to not let go. Tinen, on the other hand, is trying very hard to shake the sandile off with little success.

My entire team is also rumbling with laughter at the sight. Tinen got even more frustrated and ticked off after hearing that, as can be seen from how much harder she tried to shake the sandile off. I looked back up to find the sandile's family, only to see that they had long since disappeared.

Where had they gone to?

"You should let go." I tapped gently on sandile's snout to get its attention on me. The sandile is still not letting go of Tinen's bone, although its gaze is now on me.

"Or Tinen, maybe you should just give this bone to sandile. You have two of those anyway."

Tinen gave a very loud and audible huff of refusal, adamant on keeping both bones with her. Tinen is oddly stubborn when it comes to her bones, as do every marowak. I guess the only way to resolve this is to try and persuade sandile to let go.

"Come on, little one, stop making things difficult for Tinen. I'm sure that there are many other bones out there for you to chew on."

Sandile let out another rumble and what I understood from it caught me by surprise.

"You want to come with us?"

Sandile blinked a few times in affirmation while I just squat beside it, a little bewildered.

I used a few seconds to give this matter a little more thought. On one hand, I'm not an active trainer anymore, even if I do take part in battles every now and then just for the fun of it if I ever got into the mood. On the other hand, a krookodile's strength is nothing to scoff at. When sandile reaches its final form after I trained it enough, it may be a great help in my excavation work. I may be a historian, but I also actively take part in the excavation process because my pokemon are good at it.

"We are no longer very active in taking part in battles though, is that alright with you?"

Sandile blinked its eyes rapidly. Yes, then.

"Alright, you can let go of Tinen's bone now." I stroked the sandile on the top of its head to get it to let go. Now that I am observing it properly, I realise that sandile is a he.

"Do you want a nickname? All of my friends here have one." I used my left arm to gesture to my team of ground and rock types, who are now looking curiously at our newest addition.

Sandile gave another rumble of its throat which I interpret as a yes.

"I try to name each of my ground types with an 'earth' theme, but for you, how about Rumble? Since you always produce this rumbling sound from your throat anyway."

Sandile rumbled back at me as it relaxed at my touch, enjoying how I scratched his lower jaw.

"Rumble it is then. Welcome to the family, you little chewy baby."

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**13\. ****Sandile (Rumble), Male**


	6. Chapter 6- Story of the Aura Trio

"Stop chewing on my shoe."

My uncle glared at little Rumble, who looked back up at him with innocent eyes, not knowing what it had done wrong.

"I bought you chew toys to chew on, Rumble." I admonished as I waved said item at him. "So don't go about chewing anything else."

Rumble rumbled back a yes as it waddled up to me again on its four stubby legs. He rubbed his scaly body against my legs like how a cat does.

"I guess he really imprinted himself on you." My uncle commented as he picked up and frowned at his now destroyed shoes. Good thing my uncle is one of the richest men in Kalos. A ruined shoe is nothing for him.

"I don't even know what I did to reward such behaviour." I shrugged as I patted Rumble on the back. "It just left its family and decided to follow me. That wild krookodile didn't even turn back to search for Rumble, just letting him go off like that."

"Krookodile probably trusts you enough to take care of Rumble as his new parent." My uncle speculated as he found a new pair of shoes from somewhere. "Your affinity with Ground types is the most mysterious thing I ever come across. I've long since given up trying to know why."

"That's not like you, uncle."

"I'd rather not drive myself crazy over your weird abilities." My uncle argued back. "There are people who are born with unexplainable abilities in the world. They pop out every now and then. Look at Sabrina of Saffron, she is born with psychic abilities. Tate and Liza from Hoenn, same thing too. I heard that they can speak telepathically to anyone they wish and even _teleport_ themselves with their own power. When compared to them, your ability to understand and attract ground types suddenly doesn't seem like much anymore."

"Somehow, I feel offended by that statement even if I don't know why." I replied with a raised eyebrow as Rumble finally decided to try out his new chew toy.

"Do you have time for a new project?" My uncle changed the topic as he put on his shoes to go to work. "I have something else that may interest you and is also possibly vital to both Project X and Y."

"Oh?" I perked up. "What is it?"

"Investigate the legends and myths of Xerneas and Yveltal." My uncle stated. "As of now, we suspect that the source of Infinity Energy may have originated from the two legendary pokemon but we aren't too sure. This is where your expertise comes in. Since the museum you are working at gives you so much freedom to research whatever topic that interests you, you might want to take this up instead."

"I think I will." I nodded my head in thought. "I reached another dead end for my own research into the history of the Kalos King and the Kalos War anyway. I'm almost certain that this part of history was purposely erased. There are too few clues to follow."

"Maybe something really unspeakable happened and whoever erased it deemed it too dangerous to be let known to the world." My uncle replied as he opened the front door, half of his body already out of the house. "I will send you what the company knows of Xerneas and Yveltal later through your Holo Caster. Maybe you will have an unexpected breakthrough in your research of the history of the Kalos King in the meantime."

"Will do." I mock saluted. "Have a safe trip!"

My uncle waved me goodbye before leaving the house, closing the door behind him with an audible click. After instructing Tinen to keep an eye out for Rumble lest he decides to chew on something that is not his chew toy, I went to change and get ready for work.

I work as a historian in the Lumiose Museum. My job is basically researching, studying, analysing, interpreting, and documenting facts of our region's history. I mostly dabble in the area of the Kalos War that happened about 3,000 years ago and also about the Kalos King, which is not an area many historians choose to specialise in because many found it too difficult and too outlandish. Most of them had their work centered around the time period which are relatively more recent.

All the historical evidence and facts that I had collected and found are stored in the archives of the Lumiose Museum which I work at, even those not relating to my main work. I had added seven full shelves worth of historical data that I had unearthed ever since I started my work as a historian at the museum. Being a historian is not the most glamorous of jobs and the pay really depends on how good and invaluable your research is. Not many historians make it big, but the average pay is enough to allow one to live comfortably even in a city like Lumiose where the cost of living is noticeably higher.

In my opinion, being a historian is not a job, but a _profession_ that requires one to have a lot of passion in what they do. For any other people, the work of a historian is numbingly boring, but not to me.

I locked the door behind me as I walked to my workplace, Tinen and Rumble walking alongside me. Rumble is curious about everything around us since this is his first time living in a city. Tinen has to shepherd him with her bones every now and then to make sure that he doesn't wander off or bite anything that he isn't supposed to bite.

I reached my workplace after ten minutes of walking leisurely through the streets of Lumiose.

"Nova, found anything new?"

"A book I got from Dr Handel. Malva passed it to me." I waved back at Pagaret, the receptionist at the entrance of the museum. "How's things when I wasn't here?"

"Same old." Pagaret waved it off before his gaze travelled downwards. "New addition?"

"Yep. It just doesn't want to return back to his family after he found me. I named him Rumble."

Rumble rumbled back a greeting to Pagaret, who waved happily at my sandile.

"Just don't chew on anything here, okay?"

"I made sure to bring his chew toy along, so it should be fine." I answered on Rumble's behalf as I made my way up the stairs. "See you later!"

I soon reached my office located on the third floor where only authorised staff are allowed to enter. After exchanging a few words of greetings with my colleagues and after they are done fawning over Rumble, I got to work.

I carefully stored the picture book away on my allocated shelf. I had already scanned the entire book and made a hologram image out of it to store in my Holo Caster, so I wouldn't need the physical copy anymore. Once done, I walked to another shelf that is handled by one of my colleagues.

"Hey Soria, you mind if I look through the things here?"

"Nova? Sure, go ahead." My colleague, who is a historian specialising in investigating the legends and myths of Kalos' pokemon replied to me before going about doing her own things.

I took what I needed before bringing them to my desk. Putting my Holo Caster on the table and using it to bring up the holographic images of the data my uncle had sent, I sat down in my chair with my cup of coffee placed at the top right end of my table.

Time to get to work.

* * *

Historical accounts of the myths and legends of Kalos legendaries varied here and there, but there are also many consistent points in many of these stories and historical documents that I found. Sightings of them are rare to come by for they do not appear before humans unless absolutely necessary. Usually, their sightings would mean that something is very wrong in our world because _they _have to come out to right whatever wrongs that woke them up in the first place.

There are many more great stories about Xerneas when compared to those written about Yveltal. Xerneas is said to be the giver of life. In fact, the legends about it states that it shares eternal life to those it deemed worthy of such a gift. However the act of bestowing eternal life had also been seen as punishment in certain cases, depending on the context of the situation the written records described. There are also historical accounts that said Xerneas would transform into a tree to sleep for a thousand years once it expended its powers. Legend also has it that when Xerneas' horns shine in seven different colours, it is a sign of it bestowing eternal life to an individual. When disasters claim too many lives, Xerneas will appear to restore the lives lost so that Kalos will remain standing and not be a vacuum filled with death.

There are many nice things documented about Xerneas, but the same cannot be said for Yveltal.

Unlike Xerneas, Yveltal is said to be the bringer of death. Yveltal thrives on destruction. Just spreading its wings and tail feathers is enough for it to absorb life energy. A flap of its wings can cause thousands to die instantly. Another witness account made more than two thousand years ago stated that when Yveltal glows red, death follows the lands it flew past. Most historical accounts of the legends and myths surrounding Yveltal showed us enough to know that the pokemon is treated more as a demon than a pokemon. There is also a historical account of a monk stating that Yveltal will wake up from its cocoon state when there is too much life present. The monk speculated that Yveltal's job is to regulate the world's population. It brings about death to make sure that the world will not destroy itself from within when there is too much life present, so that the world's occupants will not suck the world dry of resources in the grand scheme of things.

Another myth about the destruction pokemon claimed that making sure that the world can survive for eternity, in the cosmic sense, is Yveltal's and Xerneas' true duty. For Yveltal, it is its responsibility to make sure life can go on by bringing about death, for destruction brings about new creation, death brings about new life. Only when life is short will species compete with each other so that we can evolve and not get complacent and procrastinate. On the other hand, Xerneas' steps in when calamity struck Kalos or when Yveltal had gone too far, bringing life back from the grasp of death so that the world will not be empty and is able to continue to live on. Xerneas is a benevolent and compassionate pokemon. If given the choice to only save one group of people out of many, it will not hesitate to choose to save everyone. Yveltal is the exact opposite. Death and destruction is all it craves until it deems that its responsibility to maintain the order of the world is fulfilled.

If one were to look at the legends and myths in this manner, then Xerneas and Yveltal are like each other's checks and balances. When there is too much death, Xerneas will appear to bestow life. When there is too much life, Yveltal will awaken to bring about death. It is a never ending cycle that repeats itself for eternity. A beginning will eventually come to an end and the end brings about a new beginning, that is the meaning of eternity that the two legendary pokemon represent.

Lumiose Museum is the largest and oldest museum in Kalos. Even then, there are very few records in our archives that can show us a glimpse of how the two legendary pokemon might have looked like. The most detailed description of Xerneas' and Yveltal's appearance is an ancient drawing of both pokemon facing each other in battle. In the drawing, Xerneas is a quadrupled, stag-like pokemon with four pairs of antlers. The colouring on the drawing is faint, but it is enough for us to see that it is largely dark blue and black in colour while its horns shine a golden hue. Yveltal is depicted as an avian that is largely red and black in colour. Its appearance is like a demonic cross between the vilest physical characteristics of dragon and flying types.

Life and death. Checks and balances that brings about eternity. To make sure that the world can continue to live on forever, one became a god loved by many to bestow life, the other became a demon hated by all that reaps that very same life.

I'm not sure which one is stronger, but I sure hope that both pokemon are of the same strength. Too much life will doom Kalos. We are already experiencing a gradually worsening case of overpopulation. Nobody wants to die too, so I hope something can be done about the overpopulation problem before Yveltal wakes up. If the myths and legends about the destruction are to be believed, then it wouldn't be long before Yveltal awakens from its slumber. The bringer of death awakens when the world suffers because there is too much life, that is a consistent point that every single historical document told us when it comes to Yveltal. Every single historical record we have of Yveltal's legends or myths are all documented after Yveltal is done with regulating the world's population by bringing about death. It was the survivors of the destruction that Yveltal caused who recorded the information about the destruction pokemon, the ones that I'm reading about now.

There is a part of Xerneas' legend that caught my interest. If Xerneas is said to have the ability to bestow eternal life and assuming that it really has the ability to do so, was it the one responsible for giving eternal life to the Kalos King? The bedtime stories about the Kalos King ended with him wandering around for eternity to search for his beloved pokemon who left him. If him wandering for eternity is true, he must have attained eternal life. How and where did his eternal life come from? That question is one of the unanswered questions that I have been trying to get an answer for.

There are many assumptions made here. For one, I have to assume that the story that passed down through word of mouth for more than 3,000 years is indeed factually correct. Secondly, I have to assume that Xerneas and Yveltal are somehow involved in the story of the Kalos King.

I got a feeling that I may be onto something here. Maybe my uncle's right. I could possibly make some headway into my own research of the true history behind the Kalos King by researching the myths and legends of Xerneas and Yveltal.

The first point that stood out to me was the ultimate weapon that the Kalos King used. How did he create it? More importantly, how was it powered? If the story was to be believed, that it somehow brought his beloved pokemon back to life, how was it achieved? There are only a few legendary pokemon whose myths and legends spoke about their ability to bestow life. Arceus, Ho-oh, Xerneas, and maybe Regigigas are the only known ones to possess such abilities thus far from what little we know. Arceus is said to be slumbering somewhere in Sinnoh. Ho-oh made its home in Johto. Regigigas is said to be sealed somewhere in Sinnoh. Kalos houses the only remaining legendary said to have the ability to bestow life.

There is also no pokemon in existence capable of using any moves or abilities that can replicate such a feat. The technology used 3,000 years ago is also a far cry from what we have now, and even modern day technology is far from achieving what that supposed ultimate weapon could do in the story. The best we can do now is to revive pokemon from fossils, which is a different thing entirely.

Going by the logical and rational process of elimination using whatever historical facts or myths that I know, the most probable conclusion to arrive at would be that the machine that the Kalos King used had somehow harnessed Xerneas' power. I may be wrong about the entire thing, but I still believe that is the logical conclusion given what I know.

Then how did Yveltal come in? If Xerneas' power was used in that manner, harnessed by a desperate man trying to play god, I find it hard to believe that Yveltal will continue to sleep without taking any action. If the stories and historical accounts about Yveltal are true, its duty is to maintain the order of the world through destruction if there is too much life. It won't stand for having a creation such as the ultimate weapon existing in this world.

If I were Yveltal, what would I do? To prevent the ultimate weapon from bestowing life so easily, I would do my best to take it away. So-

I snapped my fingers as a thought hit me.

_The Kalos War._

The Kalos War ended when the Kalos King could not let go of his rage. He fired the weapon that ended the war through mass destruction. Was that really true? Was he really the one who fired the weapon, or did Yveltal intervene somehow?

My thoughts went back to my uncle. He said that Infinity Energy, the very thing Lysandre Labs is researching to solve Kalos' power shortage problem, may have very well originated from Xerneas and Yveltal. Xerneas and Yveltal have the respective abilities to bestow life and death. Now, there is a possibility that they are also involved in the story of the Kalos King, assuming the numerous historical facts and documents I discovered about that tale is to be believed. In my opinion, the tale of the Kalos King that many Kalosian can recite by heart should be true because every single historical evidence I found supports this idea.

How does it all come together?

Infinity Energy. Xernas and Yveltal. Life and death. The Kalos King reviving his dead pokemon with the power of eternal life before committing an act of mass destruction. Ultimate weapon.

Come to think about it, powering a machine like the ultimate weapon has to take up a lot of energy for it to bestow something as miraculous as eternal life. Maybe Xerneas' power really is the Infinity Energy? In that case, did any of the scientists working at Lysandre Labs who discovered Infinity Energy suddenly gain immortality?

I doubt it. If one of them really did gain immortality, my uncle would have made a big hoo-hah about it. Also, silly me! The story explicitly stated that the lives of many pokemon were used to revive the life of the pokemon belonging to the Kalos King. Xerneas' power probably wasn't at play here, although it might or might not have appeared before the Kalos King because he tried to play god.

Maybe that's why the story ended with the Kalos King wandering for eternity. Maybe Xerneas did punish him by granting him eternal life, like what the few historical records of its deeds had stated. Sounds unbelievable, but that's all I have to work with right now.

Come to think about it, if the Kalos King is really wandering for eternity, where is he right now? Is he still at Kalos or at some other region? Maybe he is now in parts of the world even beyond those of the seven regions that made up the Pokemon World League? There's a lot of things one can accomplish in three thousand years.

I would probably need to know more about how my uncle discovered Infinity Energy before I can carry on with my investigation about Kalos' history on its legendary pokemon. I would probably gain more insight if I know how he even generated the so-called bioenergy from pokemon in the first place. I will ask him when I reach home later. Right now, I am just grasping at straws here with too many assumptions and unsupported speculations.

Eternity. Everything about the legends seem to revolve around this particular concept. The legends and myths of Kalos' legendaries are not widely known to most because most people simply treated them as deity-like figures that conveniently existed. It doesn't help that the last known sighting of any of them was about a thousand years ago. Before that, there were only three documented sightings of any of them. Most people would only know that Xerneas grants life while Yveltal brings death. That's about it.

Even less people would care about the legends and myths about Zygarde, an elusive legendary pokemon that ancient civilisations refer to as the Overseer of Kalos. There are not many historical legends and myths about Zygarde that was preserved and is still surviving to this day. We don't even know for sure what it looks like and many historians researching its legends argued over what should be its true form. Some say that it is smaller than the palm of your hand. Some claim that it takes on the appearance of a hound-like pokemon. Others argued that it takes the form of a serpent, much like an arbok. There are those who also insist that Zygarde's true form is that of a large, humanoid body that also has wings protruding from its shoulders.

In short, there is no conclusion which historians and pokemon experts can agree on what Zygarde's true form should be.

What we do know is that ancient civilisations had an equal amount of reverence and fear of the pokemon. Like many other legendary pokemon, its appearance is not a good omen. The few historical records we uncovered that survive the sands of time gave us clues that our ancestors view Zygarde as the Overseer of our region. The term "Overseer" is its title, although some other ancient languages translate it as "Watcher", but the meaning is the same.

The few historical records we found about Zygarde suggests that Zygarde is always watching Kalos. The moment it feels that Kalos' ecosystem falls into disarray, it will step in and eradicate all those who oppose it. It acts like a judge that has the forces of nature at its disposal. It is neither friend nor foe to anyone, an unbiased and neutral entity that passes its own judgement in its duty to maintain order as its own sense of responsibility dictates.

Zygarde's duty is a separate set of duties from Xerneas and Yveltal but its ultimate goal is also to maintain order in the world. Where Xerneas and Yveltal governs the order of the occupants of the world, Zygarde governs the order of the world itself. Does that put it above the former two legendaries? Maybe at least in terms of strength? It does sound that way.

Maybe I should also include Zygarde in my list of topics to research about. I need to dig up more historical accounts of Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde, the ones who make up the Aura Trio. After I sift out the reliable accounts from the fictitious ones, only then can I start to piece out the truth of their history and legends. From there, I can contribute more to what we know about the history of Kalos and hopefully help my uncle in making some progress in finding the truth behind this Infinity Energy.

For some reason, I have this irrational sense of worry when I think about the overpopulation problem Kalos is currently facing and what Yveltal's supposed duty is. I really hope that if the legends surrounding Yveltal are true, it wouldn't wake up anytime soon. At least have the courtesy to wake up after I'm long gone from here.

After I had done scanning the ancient documents about Xerneas and Yveltal that my colleagues and I had carefully preserved so that I could save them as holographic images in my Holo Caster, I pushed them to a side of the table. I also contributed to the archives by writing my own interpretation of the history of the legends of Xerneas and Yveltal for others to consider, the ones that I had woven into my research of the story of the Kalos King. To be a good historian is to be able to consider all sides of the stories and open your mind to all possibilities. Once you have done that, you would need to consider every single fact, account, document, and possibilities and use an unbiased and objective way of thinking to come up with the most logical interpretation of the piece of history you are studying.

Much like how Zygarde does its duty as the Overseer of Kalos, basically. Like Zygarde, historians should strive to be an objective and unbiased entity as much as possible. The only difference is that Zygarde acts more like a judge while historians simply observe, record, analyse, and interpret what had happened.

Once done, I lazily dialled for my uncle with a single finger.

_"Nova?"_

"Uncle?" I greeted back when my uncle's hologram image appeared before me. "Remember the things you asked me to help you out with? I found out some things that you may be interested in and I have my own speculations, but I really do need to know more about certain things before I can make any further progress. Are we having dinner together this evening? Or should we discuss the topic tomorrow morning?"

_"I will probably be free after seven."_ My uncle replied._ "Any preferences for dinner?"_

"As long as it burns a hole in your bottomless wallet, I'm in."

_"Spoiled brat."_

"You spoiled me."

My uncle facepalmed like I expected.

_"No, seriously, where do you want to eat?"_

"See? You are spoiling me by giving me the power to choose where we are going to eat."

_"I'm disowning you."_

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Meh, stop lying to yourself. We both know that you love me too much for that."

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**13\. ****Sandile (Rumble), Male**


	7. Chapter 7- Mega Evolution

The approval for Lysandre Labs to start the research of Project X and Project Y got through the Government surprisingly fast. When I asked my uncle, all he said was that it is because the Government is as desperate as he is in solving the resource strain problem brought about by our region's overpopulation.

Also, I was given clearance by the Kalos Government and the Kalos League to know about the super secret behind the bioenergy derived from pokemon.

_Mega Evolution_

Under the help of trainers and certain items, certain species of pokemon are capable of temporarily evolving even further than their final evolutionary form. My uncle had said that Core, my garchomp, belongs to one such species of pokemon known to be capable of undergoing that process. As to how the process is actually invoked is a mystery, but what everyone knows so far is that the trainer needs to use a Key Stone, which is usually embedded in a tool called the Mega Ring or the Mega Bracelet, depending on which you prefer. Your pokemon that is capable of Mega Evolution needs to hold onto a very specific item catered to its species. For Core, that item is a garchompite.

The energy produced during the process of Mega Evolution is the bioenergy that my uncle and his team of scientists had accidentally discovered. They happened to unearth several Key Stones and Mega Stones near Shalour City and when they finally figured how it worked and discovered Mega Evolution all on their own, the energy produced from the process was what they named Infinity Energy.

However, that energy is dangerous.

Malva warned my uncle again and again that the Pokemon World League had imposed a strict five minutes safety guideline for invoking Mega Evolution. Trainers who are let in on this secret and who are trusted enough by their regional League to use this power should not sustain Mega Evolution for more than five minutes. Doing so will have irreversible impacts on their pokemon. Malva had shown me a historical record of a mega evolved scizor melting away from its own heat produced during Mega Evolution, all because the trainer and the scizor sustained the temporary form for more than five minutes.

The Pokemon World League is also very strict on controlling the release of the knowledge and items needed for Mega Evolution. In fact, from what I was let in on, each of the founding Champions that helped found the Pokemon World League more than five hundred years ago unanimously agreed to make Mega Evolution a tightly guarded secret and this ruling still applies today. That's how powerful and dangerous this power is.

This arrangement came about because that period of time was when war in each region had only just subsided. Before that period of peace, the powers of Mega Evolution were often misused, bringing untold devastation to the lands. In the wrong hands, Mega Evolution can easily destroy the hard fought peace the Pokemon World League had been trying to maintain for the past five centuries.

Kalos is the place where Mega Evolution first originated, or at least that was what Malva told me what the PWL suspected. We possess the most number of mega stones and key stones because our region is very likely where these stones first came from. Geographers had claimed that the seven regions used to be one massive landmass before they split up into the seven regions we know today. It was how the mega stones and key stones find their way into the other regions before the great split.

As to how these stones first came about, no one knew.

When my uncle asked me for my help in contributing to Project X and Project Y and told me that Xerneas and Yveltal may be the origin behind the Infinity Energy and indirectly, the origin behind Mega Evolution, I cannot help but wonder if Mega Evolution is the energy source powering the ultimate weapon, and if the Kalos King is the one responsible for creating Mega Evolution. Consider this:

1) In the story, it's said that _'The lives of many pokemon were used to revive the pokemon that was loved by the Kalos King.'_ Since pokemon were used to power the ultimate weapon, it means that the energy used is a form of bioenergy.

2) Infinity Energy is also a form of bioenergy. That means that the ultimate weapon was most likely powered by this same Infinity Energy, which means the ultimate weapon was likely powered by the energy produced by Mega Evolution, or maybe the reverse is also true, that the ultimate weapon created Mega Evolution

3) Xerneas and Yveltal are suspected to be the origin of Infinity Energy, and hence also the origin behind Mega Evolution

4) The Kalos King is said to be wandering for eternity and Xerneas has the power to bestow eternal life. The Kalos King had most likely come across Xerneas at the very least if the story is to be believed.

Could the Kalos King be the one responsible for the creation of Mega Evolution through his ultimate weapon?

In that case, for me to investigate the history of the truth behind the Story of the Kalos King, I will first need to investigate the true history behind Mega Evolution.

How do I even start going about it?

"Find Professor Sycamore." Was Malva's reply when I asked her about it because she is one of the few who is let known about the existence of Mega Evolution. "He's an expert on the topic."

Hence, I travelled to the South Boulevard of Lumiose to visit Professor Augustine Sycamore.

"Mega Evolution? Oh, I'm not an _expert _in that subject." Professor Sycamore waved me off when I asked him about this phenomenon behind closed doors. "No one can claim to be an expert on Mega Evolution because it is just so mysterious. I'm dubbed as the 'expert' simply because I happen to know more than others."

"But surely you have an inkling behind its history? Like how and where it first came from?"

"I do." Professor Sycamore nodded as he put down his cup of tea that he had prepared for us. "But like you, all I have are speculations. There is no concrete evidence. I like what you had speculated though, there are certain parts that agree with mine so I think we might be on the right track."

"Which is?" I asked in excitement, eager to know more about Mega Evolution.

"That Xerneas and Yveltal are somehow involved in creating Mega Evolution." Professor Sycamore spoke in a more serious voice. "The power to govern life and death is a great power, Nova. If what you think is the truth behind the story of the Kalos King _really _is the truth, that the Kalos King had been given eternal life as punishment for his sins, then him, Xerneas, Yveltal, and the ultimate weapon may be the reason how Mega Evolution came about. Let me tell you what I know."

Professor Sycamore adjusted himself in his chair before speaking.

"Now, from what I found out, there is a very specific energy produced during Mega Evolution that makes Mega Stones work. That energy can only be produced when there is a trainer and a pokemon involved. What I speculate from my various experiments is that, the stronger the bond between the trainer and the pokemon, the more energy is released. That energy is what your uncle calls the Infinity Energy."

I nodded as I jotted down some notes for easy referencing. Even with my photographic memory, sometimes, it is easier to organise your thoughts if you write it down somewhere.

"Without a trainer, even when the pokemon itself holds its corresponding mega stone, nothing happens no matter how we tried." Professor Sycamore continued. "We tried to see if we could dissect the mega stones to see how it works, but doing so reveals nothing other than the fact that these stones somehow contain the DNA of the same species of pokemon that corresponds with the stone."

_"DNA?"_

"Yes, DNA." Professor Sycamore confirmed. "We are still trying to work out _why and how _a stone actually has DNA. All we know is that these stones are not natural. They are _man-made._"

Now _that's _interesting.

"So, you are telling me that some ancient civilisations had the technology and knowledge to produce mega stones?"

"Very likely." Professor Sycamore nodded. "But considering that the mega stones contain _DNA _in them, it probably was a result of inhumane experiments. In any case, knowledge of the true history and the manufacturing of mega stones is long lost. The PWL is still trying to see if they find a way to recreate mega stones but every attempt was a failure. However, you brought up a new point."

Professor Sycamore pointed a finger at me.

"Now, if what you speculate is true, that both Mega Evolution and Xerneas' own power was involved to power that ultimate weapon, then the missing key to creating a mega stone may be Xerneas' power. As far as we can track, the oldest mega stone the PWL has in their possession is also about 3,000 years old. It coincides with the timing of the Kalos War."

I nearly jumped out of my seat in excitement.

"That means that the Kalos King-"

"May very well be the one who created the technology that allows him to create mega stones." Professor Sycamore completed the sentence. "Problem is, did the Kalos King invent the process of Mega Evolution to power the weapon, or is Mega Evolution a by-product created by the ultimate weapon?"

"_The lives of many pokemon were used to revive the pokemon that was loved by the Kalos King." _I recited that particular narration of the story once more as I forced my mind to work double time. "You said mega stones had pokemon's DNA in them, but what about key stones?"

"Human DNA." Professor Sycamore said grimly. "Basically, everyone who carries a key stone with them is carrying a piece of a person's corpse. It's just not common knowledge to them."

I shuddered at that thought.

"Why do I suddenly feel like a detective working on an unsolved murder case?"

Professor Sycamore gave a chuckle at my words.

"I felt the same when I first learnt about this part of Mega Evolution." The kind professor sighed as he drank his tea once more. "Don't think too much about it. The horrors of the war are over. Nobody is planning to manufacture key stones and mega stones in the same way we suspect it to be. Just focus on piecing together an objective and unbiased view of the true history of Mega Evolution."

Professor Sycamore scribbled something down on a piece of paper before handing it to me.

"Go find Korrina in Shalour City. Say that I sent you there to enter the prohibited levels of the Tower of Mastery."

"Tower of Mastery?" I asked, not knowing where this is going.

"If you truly want to learn more about the history of Mega Evolution that our region is guarding, the Tower of Mastery is the place you _need _to visit." Professor Sycamore stressed. "Like you and me, the Kalos League and the PWL are also interested in the true history of how Mega Evolution came about. I know what your uncle is trying to do. If your uncle really succeeded in using the powers of Mega Evolution to create this Infinity Energy, he might have just solved the energy crisis problem plaguing our region and also the world. This is all for a good cause, the League and the Government will definitely give you their full support."

I accepted the piece of paper.

"However, like I said, everything I shared with you today is **_strictly confidential._**" Professor Sycamore stressed once more. "If word got out to the many villainous teams around the world that there is such a thing as Mega Evolution and they figured out _how _to harness its power, we might have very well doomed the world."

"They would very likely create their own ultimate weapon." I finished with a grave tone in my voice. "A repeat of the Kalos War."

"Exactly." Professor Sycamore nodded in agreement. "I will bring it up to the League about your speculations behind Xerneas' possible involvement behind Mega Evolution. Most likely, if Xerneas was really involved, then Yveltal probably was also involved in some manner. According to the legends surrounding them, when one of them acts, the other will too."

"And if the Kalos King really is still wandering around today…"

"Then maybe it's best we leave him undisturbed." Professor Sycamore finished. "I'm interested in the secrets of Mega Evolution but I don't want to find out how it was used or involved in making the ultimate weapon."

I glanced at the piece of paper in my hands.

_Tower of Mastery, huh? _

* * *

"Eh, if you really want to know the entire truth of Mega Evolution that I know, then you would have to ask Grandpa. He's the one who I learned the history of Mega Evolution from."

Korrina, the Gym Leader of Shalour City, pondered out loud as she skated around me in circles in a private room we are in.

"I still find it hard to believe that the League and Government gave Lysandre Labs the go ahead to research on Mega Evolution, just like that." Korrina had a more serious frown on her face as she did an abrupt T-brake. "Mega Evolution is **_dangerous_**, especially to pokemon. There's a reason why the PWL imposed a strict five minutes safety guideline. Our Government must be _very _desperate to meet our region's energy needs to allow your uncle to continue his research. Still-"

Korrina snatched the piece of paper that Professor Sycamore had given me from my hands when she suddenly skated past me.

"I trust Professor Sycamore." Korrina stated as she read the piece of paper. "If he thinks you are trustworthy, then you are trustworthy. Although, I think it would be basic courtesy for me to warn you of something before you embark on trying to climb the Tower of Mastery to meet Grandpa."

I can feel my eyebrows rising to meet my hairline. I don't think I like where this is going if even a _Gym Leader_ has **_that _**kind of look on her face.

"You will have to fight your way through the Tower to meet him, very literally."

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**13\. ****Sandile (Rumble), Male**


	8. Chapter 8- Tower of Mastery

Shalour City is a moderately sized city that is known for its seaside location and amazing view. It is a popular tourist attraction. The Tower of Mastery is located at the north of Shalour City on a separate piece of land, almost like a little island on its own. The Tower of Mastery is joined to Shalour City through a sandy path and if you want to access it by foot, you have to wait for the low tide to reveal the hidden path hidden beneath the sea waters. If waiting for low tide to come is not an option, then the only other option is to swim through the waters or fly above it.

It is high tide now, so my only other option is to surf on Seis' back, my whiscash.

The Tower of Mastery is a very old and ancient building that still stands today. It is a place where people will go in order to hone and master their skills as trainers, hence the name. If you include the roof the tower itself is 41 stories high, although only the bottom ten floors are open to the public. The remaining 31 floors are strictly out of bounds unless you are a Kalosian trainer. Trainers from foreign lands can only visit the bottom ten floors.

Before entering the Tower of Mastery, one has to declare if they are visiting in the capacity as a tourist or in the capacity as a trainer. Tourists will get a blue tag that they will wear around their wrist for all to see. Trainers will get a bright red one. Why the hassle, you ask?

Because in the tower, as long as you wear a red tag, you **_cannot _**refuse any challenges sent your way by other trainers in it. It's always challengers after challengers coming at you without rest in the Tower of Mastery. There's no such thing as single battles or double battles. There are only battles. Rules don't matter here. You can choose to team up with others, you can choose to gang up on one individual or you can choose to go solo. No one really cares. The only thing people care about here is to be able to fight, to battle in order to master their skills.

This arrangement is why this place is called the Tower of Mastery. Trainers can only become masters in their fields if their skills are forged through adversity. Every single trainer comes here to train and be the very best, so refusing a challenge is not an option here, not in the Tower of Mastery.

The unique rules set in the Tower of Mastery had long since become a tradition. If a Kalosian trainer managed to climb all 41 floors through their own power in one go within a single day, they are then allowed an audience with the guru residing in the tower. In the present day, that guru is Korrina's grandfather, Gurkinn. The Tower of Mastery is always flooded with trainers, so there's no way you can take the easy way out and clear all 41 floors by choosing to clear it on a day where nobody is around. It's not that simple.

Tourists are left alone by the trainers, although it is up to the tourists themselves to make sure that they stay out of harm's way of the battles occurring within the tower. The tower had made it very clear that they are not responsible for anyone's wellbeing once they stepped foot in there due to how chaotic the ongoings within the tower are.

Given the number of battles taking place in the tower per day, I'm starting to wonder _how _the ancient tower hasn't collapsed yet.

Korrina had contacted her grandfather, telling him about me wanting to meet him to learn more about the secrets of Mega Evolution. The moment that he heard that I am a trainer, albeit a semi-retired one, he _insisted _that I have to complete **_all _**_41 floors_ to reach him.

Crazy.

Knowing that my team and I will be battling without rest, I have no choice but to stock up on potions and medicine and put them in my trainer bag which I haven't touched in ages. Good thing about bags in this world is that they are equipped with Foldable Space Technology. Like how a pokeball can store a creature many times its size and letting you carry them without feeling the actual weight, the bag trainers use employs the same technology. It is one of the most important inventions that revolutionised the way the world works.

Thank whichever genius out there for inventing the Foldable Space Technology. My trainer bag would be impossible to carry otherwise.

So here I am, stepping through the doors of the Tower of Mastery with Rumble, Tinen, and Vision by my side. I'm registering myself with the receptionist at the entrance and already from the corner of my eye, I can see numerous trainers leering at me and my team like some new prey.

I cannot help but roll my eyes. The things I do to search for the truth behind our land's history.

The moment I got the red tag, I can hear whoops of joy and the sound of challengers releasing their pokemon for battle.

Really? Ganging up to pick on poor old me?

I am a _Ground Specialist_ and not only that, I am an _Elite Trainer_. Retired trainer or not, some things just don't go away even after my retirement, because I am a trainer that commands pokemon who can move the very earth itself. Under my tutelage, each of my pokemon are a force of nature. Taking on a huge crowd and dishing out devastating AOE moves are our specialty.

Except for Rumble. He's just here to spectate, gnaw on his chew toy, and cheer for us from the sidelines to give us some moral support.

I strode towards my challengers as I released my own team. Most of the challengers are only teenagers, kids who probably don't even realise what being a Master means. Across the world, very few trainers have the required skills and power to earn the title of Master from the Pokemon World League. I'm not one of them, I'm far from being a Master. At most I can only call myself a Specialist, but at least I know what the word 'Master' means.

If the kids here think that they can be masters simply by training here, then they are dead wrong. It's time for some good ol' spanking from an adult to wake them up.

I cracked my knuckles, making sure that the sound can be heard by these obnoxious children loud and clear. Surprisingly, the challengers standing before me and my team were courteous enough to let me warm up.

Even after so many years had passed since I last took part in my region's conference, I cannot help but feel the same fire burning within me once more. The fire that every pokemon trainer will have if they truly want to rise to the top.

I raised my arm in their direction, palm facing up before curling my fingers inwards in a taunting manner and beckoning for them to come challenge us if they dare. My team stood around me, eager for battle. We all have the same devilish grin on our faces.

"Bring it."

Maybe coming here to battle may not be such a bad thing after all.

I'll show the little kids here what _mastery _means.

* * *

To be a Ground Specialist is to be adaptable.

"Tinen, Bone Rush! Solid, Bulldoze!"

Tinen wields her two bones like a dual-wielding swordswoman and hacked at our opposition, clearing the way for us. Solid, my excadrill, charged through the crowd with Bulldoze as the rest of my team rained rocks from above.

Many trainers often ask me, what is the difference between Rock, Ground, and Steel types? They all look the same. They fight the same. Sometimes, they even behave in almost the same way.

I will say, ground types are the most adaptable.

"Earthquake!"

An amateur in this popular yet devastating ground type move will simply unleash a massive earthquake that hits all adjacent targets be it friend or foe. A true Ground Specialist is able to train their ground types to use this move in such a precise manner that it hits _only _their enemies.

Hence, even if Tinen and Solid are right there in the thick of the battle, my team's collective use of Earthquake did not hit them by mistake. Earthquake does not need to be big and devastating for it to be called Earthquake. Even a precise and smaller magnitude of such a move can do many things.

Like tripping our foes, for example. The gogoat in front of us had tripped on its face because Seis had used an Earthquake to force it to lose its balance, allowing Solid to smash it with an Iron Head to take it out.

Since this is only the fifth floor, I don't want to tire my heavy hitters just yet. They are just standing at the back right now, only providing support when needed. The higher floors are where all the stronger trainers are gathered. Right now what we are facing are just the mob characters, trainers who don't have what it takes to climb higher and survive the upper floors. The trainers at the lower floors really aren't that impressive. That's why my heavy hitters like Core, Jaws, and Berg are simply taking it easy now. Their strength will be needed later.

Someone's team did an impressive coordination and fired beams of attacks at us.

"Terra! Seis! Vision!"

The three pokemon on my team who fill up the roles of the team's defenders liquidated the floor with their ground type moves to raise an earthen wall in front of us. We have to take note not to totally liquify the ground beneath us or the tower will collapse.

The process of liquifying, shaping, and then hardening the earth is a complex process that takes a lot of practice. However, a Ground Specialist has to be able to train their pokemon to do at least that to call themselves a Ground Specialist.

You guys want to know how adaptable a Ground Specialist is? Here's how.

"Rock Blast!"

After the earthen wall blocked the attack for us, Crust immediately took control of the earth in it, solidifying it into rock, before blasting it back to our foes with Rock Blast. To defend and attack seamlessly, adapting the ground to be used for any situation is the key to being a good Ground Specialist. Anyone who mastered this aspect usually went on far in training ground types.

Rock, in essence, is just hardened earth. Steel, is just _extremely _hard and compact earth. Rock and steel both originate from the ground. To be a good Ground Specialist you need to understand the relation between Rock, Ground, and Steel, for in the end, they are mostly one and the same.

Harden the ground enough and they turn into rock. Harden the rock to extreme levels and it turns into steel. To be a Ground Specialist, one needs to be able to train their pokemon to do that. To be a Master, one needs to be able to do the opposite as easy as breathing.

Liquifying solid ground.

"Earth Power! Trap them in!"

A massive Frenzy Plant by Terra, my torterra, had immobilized the opposing team of pokemon, giving us a chance to liquify the ground with Earth Power and let our captured victims sink into it. Once they sunk in enough, Berg hardened the ground once more, trapping them within the floor itself.

"See ya, kiddos!" I waved the teenage trainers goodbye as I left it to them to figure out how to get their pokemon out from the floor. Only their heads and limbs are sticking out of it, the rest of their bodies are 'fused' with the concrete floor itself.

I miss the old days of being a trainer.

I'm not a Ground Master, but I'm definitely a good enough Ground Specialist. Fighting indoors, on the seas, and in the skies is the biggest disadvantage a Ground Specialist can face because there is a limited amount of earth we can use. Fighting in the Tower of Mastery doesn't allow my team to unleash their full strength, but it should be enough for us to conquer all 41 floors.

Crust greeted our challengers on the tenth floor with a Rollout, knocking them away before they could fire the first move. Crust has a rock-ground dual typing as a golem. In fact, most ground types possess a dual-typing. Interesting, right?

Like I said, ground types are adaptable.

Pokemon who solely possess the ground typing are rare. Sandshrew, diglett, cubone, phanpy, hippopotas, mudbray are the only known species whose evolutionary forms still keep the sole ground typing. Many of the other ground types had adapted to their environment throughout thousands of years, allowing them to possess a secondary typing that allows them to best survive the environment they found themselves in. The wooper species lives in the swamp, that's why they adapted themselves to be part water type. The gligar species needs to glide in the air to move from place to place because they are too defenseless on the ground despite their ground typing, that's why they eventually adapted enough to gain their flying typing. Rhyhorns are not the fastest creatures so they need something else to defend themselves. They do so by adapting themselves to grow rocky plates that serves as their defensive armour, eventually giving them the part rock typing after thousands of years.

Their proficiency in adaptation is why ground types don't really have a 'characteristic'. They are not solely good in defense like steel types. They are not solely specialised in attack power or speed to perform hit-and-run maneuvers like bug types. No, ground types are _adaptable_, that's why as a whole, the numerous species that make up the ground typing have a healthy range of offense, defense, and speed.

When you get them all together, you get a team that can adapt to any and all situations as long as the earth is there for us to control.

"Sand Tomb!"

Core trapped another group of pokemon that belonged to trainers that had challenged us on sight with Sand Tomb. Berg tossed a massive Mud Bomb that knocked them all out before engaging the next group of pokemon with a massive Blizzard.

"Fissure!"

Seis opened up a fissure to swallow the frozen pokemon and slammed the ground back shut, instantly knocking out all our opposition the moment Berg had frozen them with Blizzard, leaving them wide open for Seis' Fissure. We had to take special care not to accidentally kill any of the opposing pokemon with that dangerous move.

"Sail! Sandstorm! Core, go in!"

With the sandstorm working in our favour, Core's Sand Veil ability allows him to be a lot more elusive and hard to hit as he worked on taking down the largest prey. Jaws is also right in there, drawing all the aggro towards himself to protect the backliners while dishing out destructive moves.

We are already on the 30th floor.

Mantle changed the terrain further by raising pillars of rocks from the concrete floor that slammed into each and every enemy Seis had sensed with his whiskers. Most ground types are able to track their prey blind by sensing the tremors on the ground, but the whiscash species have the ability to detect even incoming earthquakes with their whiskers way before humans can pick it up with their high-tech equipment.

Seis is our walking radar. Even when out of water, he is far from helpless. If he really needs to swim, then all he needs to do is to soften the ground enough to swim in it.

Vision protected us with a Light Screen and Reflect, mitigating the incoming attacks enough for Terra to simply bodily block it for us without a scratch through the use of a Withdraw. Tinen attacked from afar with Bonemerang, her two bones hitting our targets from unexpected angles with perfect accuracy.

Core let out a loud roar as the opponent's haxorus was finally put down. He bunkered himself within a dome of stone, not wanting to get himself caught up in what comes next.

"Blizzard!"

Sail and Berg let loose the biggest snowstorm they can release, immediately freezing every other pokemon we can see and winning us the battle for this floor. Core broke out of his self-imposed prison thereafter through the rocks and ice.

Before we knew it, we had passed the thirty-seventh floor.

Jaws started the fight on the thirty-eighth floor by charging through the crowd with a Stomping Tantrum, flinging any pokemon away that cannot withstand his majestic might. Tinen rode on Jaws' back as his rider, obviously having fun as she whacked anyone within reach of her two bones. Solid shot himself forward like a spinning drill with Bulldoze, releasing tremors that shook the entire floor as he did so. Drift engaged in a fist fight with a machamp, using its ghost typing to its full advantage before allowing Sail to help it put the machamp down with an Ice Beam.

"Muddy Water! Then Thunder!"

Sail had raised herself, Mantle, and Jaws out of harm's way with Stone Edge when Seis unleashed a torrent of Muddy Water. Sail followed up with a massive discharge of Thunder straight at the waters, electrocuting every single one of our victims. The rest of my team wouldn't be affected even if they stood in the waters because they are ground types.

It would be foolish to not use my team's immunity to electric type attacks to our advantage.

The fortieth floor.

Drift met our first foe, a dragonite, with a Dynamic Punch after sneaking up on it with Phantom Force. With Drift physically restraining the dragonite, it allows Jaws to go in for the finisher with an Ice Fang. The rest of our pokemon foes immediately leapt into action after seeing how fast we brought the dragonite down.

"Wide Guard!"

Crust, Terra, and Mantle immediately put up a collective Wide Guard to shield us all from harm. The rest of the team used this time to shift the concrete floor and raise stones to trap every opposing pokemon we can see together in one big clump. At the same time, Crust rolled forward like a cannonball, glowing a bright white.

The moment Crust rolled into the rocky dome of a prison, Berg sealed the entrance shut, trapping our foes with Crust. A thundering explosion of sound later, the dome crumbled, revealing all of the fainted pokemon in it.

Explosion, a useful move to use if your pokemon is naturally suited for using such a move. It is a favourite move for golems and electrodes, because their bodies are naturally made to use such moves repeatedly in quick succession. All you need are a lot of revives to keep them going.

I fed the unconscious Crust a revive, making sure that the medicine went down her throat. She woke herself up about a minute or two later.

"Good job guys, now we have just one more floor left to clear."

Everyone cheered, including Rumble who had been watching us from the side this entire time. He had tried to sneak in some pot shots now and then. It doesn't really do much to help us because he is still so young, but it makes him happy, so I let him be.

Last floor left.

There is someone guarding a huge set of doors that lead us to the top floor, which is in actuality the roof itself. When he confirmed that I managed to clear all forty floors on my own in a few hours, he opened the door to let me in.

My team and I climbed up the stairs that lead us to the last floor. The guard had said that Gurkinn was waiting for me at the top floor.

"Welcome, young trainer, to the Tower of Mastery! My name is Gurkinn, the guru of this tower!"

An old man with the most ridiculous eyebrows ever greeted me with open arms. The amount and length of his brows is more than the hair on his head. I'm also pretty sure that he must have waxed or gelled his eyebrows, there's no other reason how it managed to defy gravity in that manner.

An aged but powerful lucario that is standing by Gurkinn's side stood forward. Gurkinn wasted no time as he immediately pointed at me with a finger.

"And without further ado, I challenge you to a one-on-one battle with your garchomp!"

_Oh come on._

* * *

"Ahahaha! It's been a long time since these old bones could go all out!"

_Insane_. This old man is freaking _insane_. There's _no way _we could have beat him.

Not when he made his lucario undergo a freaking transformation right before our very eyes. So that is Mega Evolution? The power it gained from it is on an entirely different level! Heck, I'm starting to think that even Siebold will have trouble facing the transformed lucario because it's just that strong!

Core and I tried our best, but we are obviously no match for this old man and his lucario. Core was taken out in less than a minute, stunning all of us. Core is the strongest member of the team and while we are definitely not on the level of the likes of Siebold or Malva, there are not many trainers who could beat us so easily.

I could only recall Core back to his pokeball and muttered a thanks for his hard work. Well, we lost. What's the old man gonna do now?

Another flash of light enveloped the transformed lucario and we watched as the transformation receded, making the lucario go back to normal.

"Consider this a treat, young lady! Not many are privy to what Mega Evolution really looks like! It's a prize offered only to those who can climb up all forty floors of the Tower of Mastery. There's no way you could have won, of course, not when you have no idea what Mega Evolution truly is and what it really does! Sycamore already told me why you are here. Come here, we can have a nice long chat about what you came here to find out."

The old man led me to sit by a small table near the edge of the roof and he began to talk.

"So how was climbing all 40 floors?"

"Tough, but fun." I admitted as the old man went about leisurely pouring some tea for the both of us.

"Ever know why there are 41 floors in the Tower of Mastery, if we include the roof?"

"There's a reason for that?" I asked in genuine surprise.

"Out of the many known pokemon species, only 41 are known to be able to undergo Mega Evolution." Gurkinn explained. "Of course, there are probably more that we haven't yet found out, but currently, only 41 species of pokemon are known to be able to undergo Mega Evolution. Your garchomp is one such species of pokemon."

I nodded, already knowing about this particular piece of information.

"There are also Legendary pokemon said to be able to undergo Mega Evolution, but even I have no clue on how true that is." Gurkinn chuckled as he handed me a cup of tea, which I accepted with thanks. "This is where the history of our world regarding this phenomenon starts to contradict itself. From what I know, my ancestors were the first to discover the phenomenon of Mega Evolution and first succeeded utilising it with the lucario species. In Hoenn, there are records that _Rayquaza _was the first pokemon to ever undergo Mega Evolution. How true that is, I have no idea. I have little influence and authority to go snooping around for Hoenn's secrets to see how credible this piece of information is."

"_Rayquaza?_" I questioned in disbelief. A _Legendary _pokemon undergoing Mega Evolution? I vaguely remembered a little about this pokemon from my past life, but _Rayquaza?_

"My exact reaction as to when I first heard the same thing." Gurkinn said with a nod of his head as he began to sip on his tea, our pokemon lazing around us now that they can take a break from battling. "As I said, it's a mystery shrouded in even greater mystery. Mega Evolution as we know today needs a trainer and a pokemon to share a deep bond for it to work. In that case, if Rayquaza can indeed Mega Evolve, is it subjected to the same conditions? This is a Legendary pokemon we are talking about. They almost never show themselves. They are so powerful that their power cannot be fathomed by mortal minds. Do they even need this power? If they really need a trainer to help them achieve this power, who would these pokemon choose?"

"And Rayquaza is among the 41-"

"No. We didn't include Rayquaza among the 41 species. Legendary pokemon are different from the norm so when the Tower of Mastery was built we didn't include them in it. If you paid attention when you were climbing up the floors you should see a mural of a different species of pokemon at the entrance of each floor. The fortieth floor was a Gallade. The first floor was a Venusaur."

"I see…" I trailed off, mind still reeling a little in shock that even Legendary pokemon could possibly Mega Evolve. Once I got over the shock, I quickly asked the burning question in my mind.

"Gurkinn, you said that your ancestors were the first to discover Mega Evolution, in that case, do you know how Mega Evolution truly came about?"

"That… All I have are speculations too." Gurkinn said after a brief period of silence. "But I guess there's something I can show you."

Gurkinn stood up and gestured for me to follow him. He led me to a small room built on the roof of the Tower. There's nothing in the room but a big wall. The big wall itself is a mural. Painted on it were numerous sleeping pokemon were arranged in a weird array and formation, each of them had their back facing a stone wall placed right behind them, almost like how you see tombstones being arranged in a cemetery. What got me widening my eyes is the art style. It looks almost like-

_The picture book._ The one Malva gave me.

I quickly took out my Holo Caster and displayed the images I scanned from the picture book. I was right. It is the exact same art style.

I flipped the hologram images until I reached the part with the missing pages, the one that shows a barren wasteland and missing part of the narrative text. That same section of the barren wasteland could be seen on this mural.

_"The pokemon that was given life must have known, that the lives of many-"_

In the picture book it ends here. On the mural is the full picture that was torn out from the picture book. The missing lines of the narrative text can also be read in full on this mural. This is the full sentence.

_"The pokemon that was given life must have known, that the lives of many Pokemon were taken to restore its life."_

So it's true. The bedtime story coincides with the tale in the picture book. Eternal life was bestowed through the taking of other lives, even the picture book confirms this fact. Infinity Energy. Ultimate Weapon. Mega Evolution. If this Infinity Energy is tied to the same energy used in the Ultimate Weapon three thousand years ago and this is also the same energy used in Mega Evolution, then...

_"You said mega stones had pokemon's DNA in them, but what about key stones?"_

_"Human DNA. Basically, everyone who carries a key stone with them is carrying a piece of a person's corpse. It's just not common knowledge to them."_

The conversation I had with Professor Sycamore echoed in my mind. _Bioenergy_. Energy produced from organic matter. The meaning could not be more literal.

If what I'm thinking is true, then Mega Evolution is in essence using a form of power derived from the life force of trainers and pokemon. Even in death, the trainers and pokemon are still producing energy through their corpses that were used to fashion Key Stones and Mega Stones. With those items as a catalyst, trainers and pokemon today can invoke a greater power through the bonds they share. There obviously is a price for using this power, overusing it will kill the pokemon in question, like the example Malva shared about the scizor melting away from its own heat, the same heat produced by the scizor itself through Mega Evolution.

_"the lives of many Pokemon were taken to restore its life."_

If… If my speculations are correct, that sentence must have meant that many pokemon were sacrificed to produce the Infinity Energy that powered the Ultimate Weapon in order to revive the pokemon of the Kalos King. If that is the case, the Kalos King is the one who invented the process of Mega Evolution.

Mega Evolution _must _be a power you gain through burning the life force of you and your pokemon. No wonder Malva said there's a 5 min safety limit imposed when using it.

Question is, how did Xerneas and Yveltal fit into the equation?

"It seems that you have come to some sort of realisation on your own." Gurkinn spoke out, who had very kindly remained silent while I was lost in my thoughts.

"Mega Evolution, it is a power gained at the cost of life. The more you use it, the longer you are draining your life force. If you overuse it for too long, you die."

"Usually it's the pokemon who pays the price." Gurkinn indirectly confirmed my suspicions with those words. "But in very rare cases that are often undocumented, sometimes the trainers are the ones who do so, especially when the bond between pokemon and trainer are exceedingly strong, or at least that is what we theorise. Mega Evolution is a power gained at the cost of life, yes, but it is also a power forged from bonds. The stronger the bond, the stronger the power. There is no one way to quantify this power because the strength of your bond is not something that can be quantified, it can only be displayed."

Gurkinn walked up to me, took my hand, and pressed something into my palm.

"The Tower of Mastery serves not only as a place to guard the knowledge of Mega Evolution, it is also a place where people who proved themselves worthy of harnessing said power are granted the permission to use it. Only when one clears all obstacles to stand at the top and also understands the weight behind the power known as Mega Evolution will they be worthy of using this power. Usage of this dangerous power is heavily regulated, Nova, I cannot stress this enough. Even among the seven regions, this Tower of Mastery is the only exception where the guru of the Tower is allowed to bestow Mega Stones and Key Stones without prior approval of the PWL or a Regional League, all because of the Tower's history and significance. Do not betray the trust I've put into you, do not use this power for evil. Swear upon it, Nova."

"I've only _just _met you!" I exclaimed out loud and tried to push the items in my palms back to Gurkinn. "If Mega Evolution is truly as dangerous as you said, you cannot jus-"

"I _can_, because I'm the _guru_." Gurkinn patiently explained. "That's my job, to sit upon this roof and find worthy successors that can and will properly wield the powers of Mega Evolution, to pass on this knowledge to the future generation, to those who are _worthy_. In all my years as a guru I've only entrusted the knowledge and history of Mega Evolution to those I've deemed worthy, _five _times. You are the fifth successor I've recognised, Nova. We've only just met, yes, but our battle told me everything I needed to know about you. There's a reason why every guru uses a lucario to test their challengers, you _cannot _lie to a lucario. My lucario approves of you and that's enough for me."

Gurkinn pressed two small items into my palm and gave me a faint smile.

"Now, all that's left is for me to teach you how to properly use this power. Call out your garchomp. We will heal it up and then we can get to work."

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**13\. ****Sandile (Rumble), Male**


	9. Chapter 9- Blob

_"Geosenge Town?"_

_"The ultimate weapon has to be there. Look at this image of the mural I captured with my Holo Caster at the Tower Mastery. It is the missing link we needed. Look, uncle. The stone wall each pokemon is placed in front of. Take those pokemon out and you are left with the stones. Look at how they were arranged. Doesn't it remind you of a certain place in Kalos?"_

_"Route 10. Those stones look exactly like the weird stones lined across Route 10! The stones whose existence and purpose had not been determined for thousands of years! It's Route 10!"_

_"Exactly! Look further into the drawings of the mural. You see the Ultimate Weapon in the background, right? Assuming this mural is factually correct about the geographical location of the Ultimate Weapon and these stones, then judging from the angle this scene was drawn, then the only place other than Route 10 that also has weird stones placed there is-"_

_"Geosenge Town. The unexplained stone spires in the middle of the town."_

_"Exactly! If we want to find out more about the Infinity Energy brought about by Mega Evolution we need to find out more about the Ultimate Weapon and the Kalos King! They are all linked! The Ultimate Weapon **has **to be at Geosenge Town!"_

That was the conversation I had with my uncle when I realised those weird stones at Route 10 are in actuality the same stones depicted in the mural at the roof of the Tower of Mastery. From there on, uncle and Malva took over the entire project and from what I know, the Kalos League and Government are now also in on it. The secrecy surrounding the Ultimate Weapon is so tightly controlled that even I am not allowed to know anything more than I already found out. Even for my uncle, only him and a select few from Lysandre Labs are let in on the secret by our region's authorities. I am not given the clearance to know more.

Honestly, I'm not that interested about the science and military part of the project. I'm more concerned about its history and considering that from now onwards, the project is more science and military than history, I'm fine with washing my hands off it. For now.

Luckily, I have friends that I can share the existence and knowledge of the Ultimate Weapon with because they are let in on this secret. It's definitely better than being forced to bottle everything in.

"Mademoiselle! How is the full course this time? Is it to your liking? Are the battles more to your taste?"

"Food wise, I have nothing to pick about. Battles wise, I honestly think this segment will be a big hit among trainers. The challenge is there. Not too hard, but definitely not easy. It forces you to think through your strategies instead of bulldozing your way through recklessly. Novice and Intermediate trainers will benefit a lot from this kind of battle because it forces them to think instead of relying on brute strength. The experience they get from the battles here will help them in completing their Gym Circuit, that's for sure."

The both of us sat in a private room in Siebold's restaurant, drinks in hand as we lazily lounged about. He's one of the few that I can freely share what I know about Mega Evolution and the Ultimate Weapon because he has the needed clearance as a member of the Elite Four.

"So, Tower of Mastery? I expect no less from you, Nova! You are a splendid trainer after all! To be approved by Gurkinn himself is something to be proud of! I believe that makes you the… fifth? Fifth successor that he had chosen thus far? If I recall correctly, that is."

"Makes me wonder who the first four were." I hummed in thought as I took another sip of the coffee Siebold had so graciously offered. "Gurkinn never told me."

"We can't go about giving out the identities of wielders of these stones. It's top secret." Siebold said with a wink as he briefly revealed his own Key Stone worn on his wrist and hidden within his sleeve. "What we do know for sure is that all Thirteen Pillars of every region are definitely given one Key Stone and Mega Stone each. Sometimes, certain members are allowed possession of two Mega Stones if their region's League deemed it necessary. Other trainers who are let in on this secret and also granted possession are heavily watched and controlled by their own regional League."

"So the PWL knows everyone who has these stones? They keep a list?"

"Oh non, non, non!" Siebold shook his head furiously. "Only on certain individuals that warrant such a thing! People like me and Malva, for sure, due to our titles and positions. Maybe a few other individuals that the PWL thinks may be a wild card and need to keep a close eye on. Mostly, possession of these stones are controlled by every region due to a secret treaty between the member regions, that they will regulate the usage and possessions of these items based on a set of agreed rules."

"So, only the Kalos League would know that I now have a Garchompite and a Key Stone then?"

"Oui! The Tower of Mastery also happens to be outside the jurisdiction of the PWL due to its special status, so they won't ask for the list of successors that have learnt and possess this power. Successors like you also don't need prior approval from a third party to possess this power. The only thing the guru of the Tower has to do out of obligation is to let the Kalos League know that there is now another successor who inherited this power."

"I don't like the term. Successor, that is." I mumbled. "Doesn't feel like I did anything to earn this power."

"The lucarios at the Tower are extremely picky and cautious in helping the gurus choose the successors, Nova! To be approved by any one of them is something to be proud of! They must have seen something in you! Not only that, not everyone can clear all forty floors!"

"It's not _that _hard if you know what you are doing."

"Yet, not everyone who attempted the challenge cleared the Tower on their first try, right? Give yourself some credit, mademoiselle! I'm not just speaking as a friend, but also acknowledging your skills as a trainer in the capacity as one of our region's dazzling Elite Four! The Tidecaller, Siebold Bocuse, that's me! Oui!"

I cannot help but laugh when Siebold did those weird poses again paired with those ridiculous light shows put up by his starmie. Siebold does have a knack for cheering people up and getting people to like him.

"If you're not an Elite Four or a chef, I think you would make quite a good entertainer. A comedian, maybe?"

"Hohoho! To be a Pillar is to be an inspiration to trainers not only in your region, but also to the world as well! We are the ones that help nurture the next generation of Pillars! You need to be approachable so that trainers wouldn't be afraid of asking you for help! Such is our duty, guiding the next generation, yes it is!"

"You are a splendid Elite Four, Siebold. A sparkling one." I said in earnest. Childish antics and weird way of speaking aside, Siebold is indeed an inspiration for Kalos' trainers, there's no denying that.

"Why, merci, Nova! You just made this good sir very happy, oui!" Siebold said with a large smile and a clap of his hands. "Now, you will be heading to Unova soon, oui?"

"Yeah." I cannot hide the small smile on my face as I thought about it. The upcoming project that I'm going to be involved in got me excited just by thinking about it. "Uncle heard that there's some big archeological excavation going on at Unova and they need experts because this project is extremely delicate. Not just in the excavation part of it, but also in translating ancient texts the Unova team suspect that they will find there. The moment my uncle knew about it he somehow put my name forward and now I'm involved in it. You know him. He really spoils me rotten."

"True, but for you to get accepted into foreign archeological work so easily speaks volumes on how good you are in archeology and also as a historian! You always do have a knack for piecing out the truth, Nova. It's a valuable skill to have, just be careful of people who do not want such skills to be used on them. The world is not as kind as it seems, mademoiselle."

"Is… anything the matter?" I asked cautiously at the weird words Siebold had chosen to use.

"Nope, not really. Just better safe than sorry, yeah? For things to appear to shine there must be other things that absorb all the light. If not, how would we be able to tell apart what appears to be bright and what is not? Kalos may appear to be glamorous, that's true, but we both know that there is always darkness lurking underneath the light, it's just how well we regulate the balance. It's the same everywhere. Like Xerneas and Yveltal, light and dark, life and death, there's always a need for balance, no? That's why life is so interesting."

Being the good friend that I am, I simply placed my palm on Siebold's forehead.

"Nova?"

"Nothing, just checking if you are having a fever."

"Why?"

"The Siebold I know could not possibly spill such wise words on his own. Either you are sick, or you lifted those words from somewhere. Alright, since you don't have a fever just whose words did you just copy from?"

"N-Nova! Those were truly my own words!"

* * *

"Good job, Rumble! That was a nice Sand Tomb!"

I cooed over Rumble as I scratched him under the jaw, making him purr in delight. Our team's little baby is improving fast. He will be a big bad krookodile in no time at this rate. Maybe somewhere within half a year to a year? It really depends on how long his growth spurt will continue.

We are currently at Route 13, a route located at the northern end of Lumiose that connects both Coumarine City and Lumiose City. Route 13 is simply a great plain where no plants can grow and the clay here is of a reddish hue. The fact that no plants or the likes ever grew here in our region's history is also why some people call this place the Lumiose Badlands. It is the perfect place for wild ground types to congregate because they can dig and burrow to their heart's content. It is also the best place to train ground types. The deserted nature of this area of Kalos is also why the Power Plant is located here. If anything happens to the Power Plant, damage to the surrounding area will be minimal because of the general lack of life here.

This was where I caught Core many years ago. Right now, our team's landshark is burrowing deep underneath the ground to his heart's content somewhere out of my sight but I can feel some sort of link to him somehow. I don't know how to explain it, but my affinity with Ground types allows me to also sense their presence around me to a certain extent. I usually don't notice this radar-like ability mine taking effect. It's only when I truly concentrate on trying to sense ground types around me that I can have a rough estimation on how many there are around my vicinity.

Naturally, my 'link' to the ground types on my team is a lot stronger as compared to others simply because I spent a lot of time with them. Currently, Core is approximately almost a hundred feet down under the earth, I think. I don't really have anything to measure the exact distance.

"Hello there, you guys want to play too?" I gently conversed with other wild ground types who are curiously watching me train Rumble. The rest of my team are around me lazing about and generally enjoying the strong winds here. Sail is having a good time letting the sails on her back flutter with the wind and howling (or is it singing?) while she is at it.

The wild ground types that are watching us are generally those at the very basic stage of their evolutionary lines. Diglett, trapinch, gible, geodude, and maybe several other rarer Ground types not common to the Kalos region. They have been observing us for a while now.

Some of the shyer ones ducked back into the ground and burrowed away the moment I opened my mouth. The more curious ones simply waddled up to me and allowed me to pat them on their heads without biting my hand off. I know for a human to have such an affinity for ground types is not exactly normal, but considering this is a world where abnormalities are not that uncommon, it's really nothing home to write home about.

_'Hey, human. Human! Can you hear me?!'_

"Hm? Vision, did you call me?" I turned back to look at my claydol, who also gave me a curious look.

_'I didn't say anything, Mistress.'_

"Pretty sure I heard something." I muttered as I looked around. My ground types all perked up at my words as they too did a quick scan of our surroundings. There's really nothing else and nobody else around other than us.

_'Oh **finally**. Somebody who can hear me. It's been way too long. I think I'm starting to forget what the sun looks like. Below, you nitwit.'_

I looked down and saw nothing but my own two feet and a lot of dirt.

Maybe the voice meant literally? Like _below _below?

"Below?" I called out to no one in particular, hoping that the unknown voice can hear me.

_'Yes, below. Now listen here, human. The mighty me is in need of your puny assistance. Get me up into the light.'_

Huh, whatever that is, it sure loves to give orders.

"Vision? Can you tell Core to dig at the location right below me and see if he can find anything?" I called out to my claydol, knowing that it can use its telepathic abilities to converse with Core. Since Core is already digging around he might as well search for whatever had called out to me.

We simply waited for Core to search for the mysterious voice. Meanwhile, I found myself entertained by whatever I had heard while we were waiting for Core.

_'Ow! Gentler you brute! Watch where you are burrowing! How dare you measly- OW! Watch where you are pointing those- OOF! GENTLER, you oaf! Stop that! How dare you do that to me, le Porion! Ow Ow OW OKAY I TAKE EVERYTHING BACK! JUST STOP- oof! POKING! Oh come on- ME!'_

I lost it. I simply laughed out loud when I heard that unknown voice in my head speaking in such a way. Still, what kind of pokemon is it? For it to be able to converse in my head it must be a psychic type, right? For it to be so deep underground it is also likely a ground type. Is there any other Psychic-Ground dual type pokemon other than the claydol species? None came to mind.

Huh, now I'm curious.

_'Oh no no no don't you dare- ARGH ARCEUS ABOVE THIS **STINKS!** HOW DID I GET REDUCED TO SUCH A STATE?! THE MIGHTY- OH BY THE EARTH DO YOU EVER **SMELL **YOUR OWN BREATH YOU OVERGROWN LIZARD?!'_

Core emerged and threw up a small cloud of dirt and dust with his appearance. He immediately walked up to me excitedly the moment he spotted me, tail wagging excitedly like an overgrown puppy.

"There, there. Had fun?" I patted Core on the head as his throat rumbled in delight. I quickly glanced around. Huh, where is whatever pokemon that had called for our help? I couldn't see it.

"Uh, Core? Just who or what did you find? Where is it?"

_'Let me out! LET ME OUT!'_

Core turned away and began to cough as if trying to get something out of his throat. I raised my eyebrows. Okay, now I think I'm starting to know why that voice reacted in that manner.

With one last forceful cough, Core managed to spit something out. Something small, green, and entirely drenched in Core's spit.

"Seis? A little help?"

My whiscash helpfully spurted a low powered Water Gun at whatever small creature that had the unfortunate luck of being a passenger in Core's mouth. The small blob of green thing couldn't be bigger than the size of my palm and it barely managed to anchor itself to the ground to prevent itself from being washed away by Seis' Water Gun.

_'Watch where you're spraying those! I demand you to stop! STOP!'_

Seis got visibly annoyed at the creature's haughty tone and proceeded to increase his output, washing the creature away and sending it flying until it rolled to the front of Core's feet. Core didn't seem bothered by it as we all watched the small green and no longer slimy blob flopped back down onto the ground, twitching uncontrollably.

"For something so small you sure talk a lot, don't you?" I said with a laugh as I knelt down in front of… whatever this is, and extended a hand towards it. I have a feeling it is a ground type, my senses are telling me so. I have also never seen something like this before. This is definitely a pokemon that I don't know about and probably a brand new species of pokemon altogether.

I don't even know how else to describe this new pokemon other than the fact it really is a green blob with a relatively bigger head and a small body, one large eye at the left side of its head, and has a hexagonal pink marking near where I assumed its abdomen is. And it's really small, like smaller than my palm kind of small.

_'Argh. The audacity. Argh! To think the mighty me had been reduced to such a state! Played around like a pebble along the dirt road! I swear, there's a severe need for me to remind the world of my greatness!' _The green blob raised its little head to look at us with an aura of arrogance and haughtiness. It puffed up its almost non-existence little chest and looked tilted its chin up before telling us its next demand.

_'Bow down to me, ye mortals! BOW DOWN TO THE MAGNIFICENT PORION!'_

Naturally, what he received were everyone's unimpressed looks and a period of silence. A wild gible kicked the blob from behind and it went tumbling again.

_'Argh! The cheek of you, you plebeian! Wait till I get back my full power and size! Le Porion will smite you-'_

"Alright, that's quite enough out of you." I patted the green blob on the head to get it to stop. "Is that your name, Porion?"

_'Such insolence! How dare you speak of my title in such a casual manner! Such insolence! I demand-'_

I simply picked up the green blob with my hand and studied the pokemon carefully, ignoring its yelling. Hmm, I'm sure of it. I had never seen a pokemon like this before and I'm sure nobody else had. A _new _species of pokemon entirely?! I totally need to tell uncle and Professor Sycamore!

_'-is outrageous! OUTRAGEOUS! BOW DOWN BEFORE MY MIGHT! **BOW!**'_

"Alright, blob. We heard you." I dismissed it casually as I held it in my palm, the green blob still hopping angrily on it. "Say, I really need to send you in for further study. You are unlike any pokemon anyone had seen before."

_'STUDY?!' _The green blob roared in indignation. _'I'm the mighty Porion! I'm not something up! For! **STUDY!**'_

In the next instant, the ground shook violently and we all fell onto our backs from the suddenness of it all. The green blob hopped in front of us angrily as it continued to yell out loud.

_'Now! Bow down before my- oof!'_

Tinen apparently had enough of the blob's rude behaviour and began to whack at it with her two bones. We simply stand aside and watch. Huh, that just now… was that an Earthquake? It felt like one but at the same time doesn't feel like one. Earthquake require the user to bodily force a vibration into the earth but the blob was hopping on my hand earlier, not on the ground, so that just now cannot be an Earthquake. In that case, it actually shook the ground with just a mere thought? That… not many Ground types can do that. Maybe something like that can be achieved with Earth Power but most Ground types need to be in contact with the ground itself to even do so, yet this small blob just did a feat that only very experienced Ground types can do after years and years of harsh training.

Interesting.

_'Ow! You- oof! Argh fine fine FINE! I allow you mortals to bask in my- oof! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT?! I already allowed you commoners to- okay OKAY! JUST STOP HITTING ME!'_

Tinen huffed with equal annoyance as she and the blob had a heated staring contest. The blob attempts to say something once more but Tinen will whack it with her bones every single time it does so. In the end, what resulted is the blob lying down on the dirt in an admittedly pathetically manner.

_'This… This is madness! What had the world come to?! Me? The mighty me reduced to a mere punching bag for a measly MAROWAK?! Argh, Arceus! **Curse you! **Curse you and your infinite wisdom for creating me in such a foolish manner! Now how am I going to go back to my previous glory?! NOBODY EVER RESPECTS LE PORION ANYMORE!'_

"You've got guts, I give you that. You are probably the first pokemon who openly dares to curse and swear at Arceus itself from what little I know." I let out a laugh as I picked the blob up. "Alright, I can understand you not wanting to be a lab rat and scrutinised and poked at by people in a tank all day long. I won't hand you over to anyone or tell anyone of your existence, okay? I will promise you that. That fine with you?"

_'Hmph.'_ The blob huffed and turned its head away with its head still held high. _'Now that's more like it. Alright, le Porion has made up its mind, I shall appoint you as my protector! Onward, my loyal subject! Assist ye lord in returning me back to my former glory!'_

"Yeah, yeah, nobody's too small to dream big." I said as I took out a pokeball to try and capture it, only for the blob to knock it out of my hand. For something so small it does have some force behind its blows.

'_No one puts the mighty Porion into one of these damning contraptions! They might have changed in size and colour the last time I saw it but le Porion still recognises these derogatory things anywhere! Blasphemy! **Blasphemy!** Nobody puts le Porion into one of those things! **Never!**'_

"Alright, alright, you hate the pokeball, we get you the first time. Look at you, how cute you are!" I cooed at the cute little blob and laughed within the confines of my mind as it began to hop angrily on my palm in indignation once more. I slid the blob into the pocket of my coat and gestured for my pokemon to begin our walk back home, but not before we waved our goodbyes to the wild pokemon that we have befriended in our short time here.

_'Ahh, yes, this is comfy. Ye lord is pleased with this royal treatment.'_

I rolled my eyes. Whatever this pokemon is, it really has an ego bigger than the size of this planet.

"I get it. Until you tell me what you really are, I'm going to call you Blob."

_'Wait, what? BLOB?! I shall not accept such a title!'_

"It's cute. You don't like it?"

_'Cute?! The mighty Porion does **not **do cute! Why, back in my heydays civilisations quake in fear of my presence! People only dare to whisper my name! All bowed before me! I'm revered as a deity!'_

I cannot help but laugh out loud. Not only does this little blob has a hyperactive imagination, it is really good at crafting stories.

"Huh, you really have a way with storytelling."

_'Stor- Don't doubt the words of your lord! Your mighty lord has no need to lie! Fine! If you want to know of my true name that much this mighty being shall grant you your puny wish! Bask under my glory and listen well, plebeians!'_

Blob hopped out of my pocket and stood at the top of a small boulder near us, its miniature chest puffed up and head slightly expanded as it sucked in some air. Everyone looked at him in curiosity.

_'I'm the one who watches the land! I'm the one who monitors the state of the world! I'm the judge! The Jury! And the executioner! I'm the dutiful overseer, the omnipotent watcher of the world's ecosystem! Fear me! Worship me! Bow before me! Bow before your lord and saviour, the mighty **ZYGARDE!**'_

What followed the introduction was the cold whistling of wind and muted silence. Nobody was impressed.

"Blob." I said in genuine worry as I patted it on its head. Is this pokemon alright in the head? "It's okay to dream big, but sometimes having too big a dream gives you more troubles than it's worth."

_'WHAT?! This ain't no dream, human! I'm the Overseer of Kalos! Le Porion! ZYGARDEEEEE!'_

Core summarised what we were all feeling at this moment by giving a loud and obnoxious yawn.

"Look, I'm a historian that happens to do some research on myths and legends. There weren't many records regarding Zygarde's physical appearance, but we know enough to know that Zygarde is many things and appears before others in many forms. It may be a hound, a serpent, or a gigantic humanoid creature, but certainly not a small cute little green blob like you." I patiently explained as I picked Blob up and put him into my pocket once again. His voice sounds like those of a male to me, so I guess I shall refer to Blob as a he. We began our long walk back as we ignored Blob's indignant screaming.

_'Cute-'_ Blob seethed at the word before starting his rant again. _'HOUND, SERPENT, HUMANOID! THOSE ARE ALL THE FORMS I CHOSE TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU FOOLISH COMMONERS! THERE'S A REASON WHY I'M LIKE THIS RIGHT NOW! I'M JUST NOT AT MY FULL GLORY AT THIS MOMENT AND YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE TO RESTORE YE LORD BACK TO HIS FORMER GLORY! BE GRATEFUL FOR MY GENEROUS GIFT, YOU DAMN PEASANTS!'_

"If you really are the Zygarde that you claim you are then surely you can prove it by changing into any one of the forms I just mentioned? If you cannot do so, until then you are simply Blob. Lying is not a good habit to have, you know?"

_'Ly- LYING?! **ME?!** ARRGH! HAS THE WORLD REALLY FORGOT ALL ABOUT MY GREATNESS?! HOW LONG WAS I STUCK UNDER THERE?!'_ Blob yelled uncontrollably as he somehow squirmed and hopped his way up to the top of my head and began to rant to the sky angrily without stop.

_'Where had all my cells dispersed to?! Why am I now reduced to this pathetic state?! Being called a Blob, whacked by a lowly marowak and nearly eaten by an overgrown Dragon?! That's not all! Now nobody believed my words and doubted everything I said?! **Nobody **ever reveres me anymore?! Damn it Arceus! Had this loyal subject not done a dutiful job in watching the world you created while you were having your lazy slumber?! **HUH?!** What did your Creation Trio even do while you were snoozing away at Mt Coronet?! What did any of your other subjects do while you were asleep?! How many calamities had I prevented, how many disasters had I stopped?! **Only I **continue to do my duty and this is what I get in return?! Mortals doubting my words and rubbing my dignity into the dirt?! Curse you, Arceus! Curse you and your foolish idea for creating me in such a manner! Answer me dammit! Can you even hear me?! Stop sleeping and make me great again dammit! Return my power back to me!'_

We all watched on and laughed as Blob continued to scream nonsensical words out at the top of his lungs from where it still is currently balancing himself at the top of my head. I gently picked it down and returned it to my pocket once more, making sure that it is snuggled comfortably in my pocket. Blob sure has a hyperactive imagination and a bigger mouth.

_'What are you lot laughing for?! I'm the Legendary Overseer of Kalos, you hear me, mortals?! **ME!** The Overseer and Watcher! The Judge, Jury, Executioner! I'm- STOP LAUGHING! THIS MIGHTY LORD IS SERIOUS!'_

"Well, you have to admit that you look the furthest thing from a Legendary." I continue to laugh uncontrollably. "I mean, which other Legendary is a small cute green blob like you? Aww, you are just so cute!"

I continue to pat Blob on the head as it squirmed around in chagrin, trying to avoid my hand to no avail.

_'I admit that I can sense that you are special, human. Only you ever heard my voice while I was stuck down there and that is why I've oh so generously chosen you to restore me to my former glory but! But this is no excuse for such rudeness! And stop petting me! The mighty- ahh… That's the spot, a little more to the- yes, ah…'_

We all watched in surprise as Blob visibly melted into a puddle of content mumbling when I happened to scratch him underneath its small little hand with my fingers. The sight of it made us explode into laughter and our laughter brought Blob out of its relaxed stupor.

_'What are you all laughing for?! You, human! Continue with your administration! This mighty- ahh… yes… ah…'_

I shook my head in fond exasperation as we continued our way back home.

Well, at least things are looking to be more interesting day by day.

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**13\. ****Sandile (Rumble), Male**

**14\. ****Unknown creature, self-proclaimed Zygarde (Blob), ?**


	10. Chapter 10- Historical Mark on the World

This world is a big and dangerous place. If you want to travel from region to region the only possible way is to sail through the seas using a ship. Even then, there are only a few known safe routes for ships to sail across the seas from region to region if you don't want to have an unlucky encounter with any wild Water types living in the vast and deep sea. Gyarados, sharpedoes, wailords. These are just a few examples of wild water type pokemon that no ships would want to meet on their seafaring journey.

And let's not talk about airplanes here. Predicting the migratory behaviour of wild water types living in the sea is hard enough, predicting the flight patterns of wild flying types is impossible because flying types simply fly whenever and wherever they want. Just a simple Air Slash or Razor Wind is enough to crash an airplane if the airplane you ride on happens to get on the wrong side of a random flying type flying across the skies.

Thus, what the history that this world has shown me is that while modernisation within each region has progressed remarkably in almost every region, the concept of globalisation in this world is close to nil. When I think about it further, it actually kind of makes sense. Overall, every region has the capability to survive on their own pretty well without needing to rely on another region. And if travelling from one place to another is so difficult in this world due to the presence of pokemon, why rely on globalisation when you can do everything yourself?

No wonder there are so many similar things across the different regions, but yet they are so different. The Pokegear, Pokenav, and X-transceiver all basically have the same function, but yet look so different. It's because they are invented and used almost solely in the region in which they are invented in.

Even when I hopped on the fastest ship available that took the shortest sea route from Kalos to Unova, it took me almost a month to reach Unova and let me tell you, the sensation of having my feet touching dry land again after being on the sea for so long is a very welcomed one. I'm not the only passenger who let out a whoop of cheer the moment we disembarked at Driftveil.

Now, where is the person who I am supposed to meet again?

* * *

My point of contact turned out to be a young man that goes by the name of Asher Dandolos. Not only is he a historian that has dabbled in many parts of Unova's history, he is also a skilled pokemon trainer. That's not all. He is the son of Grimsley, the oldest member of the current Unova's Elite Four. Like his father, he specialises in dark types.

Asher is a genuinely nice young man to befriend and his interest in piecing out the truth of the past is in no way any lesser than mine. He is enthusiastic in what he does. We quickly struck up a friendship due to our common interests.

The current project that I'm invited to be a part of is one that is suspected to be involved in investigating the origins of pokemon. There is already an excavation and archeological team from Kalos here in Unova helping out with this project so I will be assigned to be a part of that team as well. From what I know, originally there is land to be cleared right on the outskirts of Lacunosa Town but accidental digging led to the finding of what is possibly an ancient ruin buried underneath the ground. The Unova League soon halted the project in favour of uncovering the truth behind this ancient ruin. Initial findings led experts to believe that was stumbled upon is probably a shrine or a temple, but recent discoveries had hinted that it may also be something close to being a library from one of Unova's long lost civilisations. Further probing had led experts to believe that this ancient ruin may help uncover the answers about the origins of pokemon.

We don't have an exact idea on what the ruin is about yet, but that is why we are here to find out.

Thankfully, I know the members of the Kalos team personally because we had worked with each other on more than one occasion back in Kalos, so we quickly got the introductions out of the way. Asher may be young, but like me he is already a veteran in archeology and also as a historian. Together, we pieced out what the various teams had discovered so far.

"Size of the ruin is about 40m x 100m x 40m. About the size of a small mall in the present day? If this is indeed a library then it is a big library considering the era we think it was built in. I mean, this dates back to almost a thousand years ago." I thought aloud as we gathered around the computer generated image of what we had scanned underneath the surface with the help of my Ground types. It took us close to a week, but we now have a rough estimation on just how huge this ruin might be and the surface area that we have to cover.

With this, we can now work on trying to excavate the ancient ruin.

"Must be a very impressive sight." Asher nodded. "Might be the Zenru civilisation considering the time period. They are known for diligently keeping records of their civilisation's history so the ruins might really be a library."

"Or maybe the Efru civilisation. Do you think it may be related to that old folk tale in Lacunosa? Something about a monster arriving into town in a cold wind and taking away humans to eat at night?"

"Maybe." Asher shrugged. "Nobody ever believes in that legend nowadays but there may be some grains of truth to it. Maybe this ruin will explain more for us. After all, we are sure that this ruin is definitely something related to pokemon and it might explain to us more about the origins of pokemon."

"We need to be very careful with the excavation process." The head of the excavation team spoke out loud. "It has been raining frequently the past few days, the soil is going to be moist and soft. Any trenches we dig can easily collapse on us if not handled properly. Heavy equipment won't do. The soil type in this area cannot withstand too much weight and vibration so if we are doing this, we will have to do it by hand and we will have to ensure that any trenches we dig will not collapse on us due to the moisture."

"My ground types can help." I offered. "In fact, the moisture in the soil might be a blessing for us. It will make the soil softer and easier to manipulate. We might even be able to unearth the entire ruin in one go. We just have to make sure that the ruin will not collapse and sink back into the soil due to how soft it is right now."

"Oh yes, how could I forget about your ground types." The head of the excavation team gave a dramatic sigh. "I'm so glad you are here with us, Nova. The process would take so much longer otherwise."

"You speak too highly of me." I replied with a laugh. "But shall we decide on a day to carry out the excavation now that we have confirmed what we need to know?"

"Yes, we should." Asher agreed. "If all else is fine, I suggest tomorrow?"

Nobody objected. Everyone is excited about what we are going to unearth.

* * *

_'Took you long enough! This mighty lord demands that you bring him to find his missing Cells **now!**'_

"Oh hi there, Blob. You're back!" I purposely cooed over Blob the moment I returned and spotted him jumping on my bed in the hotel room that I will be staying in during my attachment to this project. He had disappeared to who knows where for a few days the moment we arrived at Lacunosa, saying something incoherent about needing to survey the Unova region or something along those lines. I wasn't too worried about his temporary disappearance because he seems to be able to take care of himself despite his tiny size, but whenever he is around he kept spouting weird and random terms out of nowhere, like "FIND MY MISSING CELLS NOW!"

It's not like I don't want to help Blob, but how am I going to find something that cannot be seen by the naked eye? Cells are microorganisms, right? Whatever does he need his 'Cells' for anyway?

_'Don't talk to me like I'm a common pet! I'm the judge, the jury, the exe- ahhh… there's the spot… a little more to the… ahh, right. There it is.'_

I held in my laughter as Blob melted into a puddle of goo when I started to stroke underneath his chin with my finger. For all of his loud voice and haughty attitude he's actually quite lovable.

"You need to explain to me more about these Cells that you keep rambling about all the time if you want me to help you." I told Blob as I sat beside him. Blob gave a snort and began to jump on the bed again, using it like a trampoline.

_'Cells are Cells. What else is there to explain? If your puny mind cannot comprehend the wisdom of my words that is not my problem.'_

"That's not very helpful, Blob."

_'Most of my Cells are at **Kalos**, and you had the audacity to bring me here to Unova!' _Blob began to jump higher and higher on the bed. _'I don't watch over Unova! None of my Cells and fellow Cores are here! Bring me back to Kalos!'_

"Then why didn't you just say so earlier?" I sighed and patted Blob on the head when he finally decided to stop jumping. "But unfortunately, I will be staying here in Unova for a short while, so going back to Kalos will have to wait."

_'WHAT?!'_

"To be fair, I had already told you beforehand that I will be going to another region before we came here. If you had any objections you should have just voiced it out right then. In fact, you simply agreed to whatever I told you when I asked you if you would like to come along."

_'I WAS BUSY SOAKING THE SUNLIGHT! WHY WOULD I BE LISTENING?!'_

"Then that's your problem."

_'How long more before you go back to Kalos?'_ Blob demanded as he began to hop around the room. _'The sooner, the better!'_

"We are going to uncover some ancient ruins. The moment we are able to unearth it and fully study its contents we are done here."

_'Wait, that's it? You are here to simply dig out some stupid bricks?'_

"They are not stu-"

_'Oh come on.'_ Blob groaned as he hopped onto my bed and burrowed himself underneath my blanket. _'For real?! Fine. Whatever. Leave that to me. I will get it out in a jiffy but you have to bring this mighty lord back to Kalos as soon as possible after that! Or wherever that has some of my Cells!'_

"And where might those places be?" I asked in genuine curiosity. Blob had been rambling on and on about his 'Cells' ever since we met and I'm starting to get curious as to what they really are. I had asked him if he wanted me to ask any Pokemon Researchers or Professors if they knew about those mysterious Cells of his but Blob is strangely adamant on keeping his existence a secret between us. He doesn't want to be known or found out. He simply keeps ranting about how he can locate the Cells himself and all I need to do is to bring him there.

_'Hmph. Now that's more like it.'_ Blob said with a huff and a puff of his small chest. _'Well, as I said earlier, most of my cells are at Kalos and technically those are enough to restore me to my former glory, but I have a few backup Cells that I want to check on that I left in other regions a long time ago. Kanto and Johto may have a few, enough to restore me back to about 10% of my original power. Alola has a little more, but no matter. Kalos is where most of my fellow Cores and Cells are at. If I can find them all I can be back to full strength.'_

"So…" I trailed off as I pondered about what Blob had revealed to me. "The more, uh, _Cells _you have, the stronger you would be?"

_'I need to find my fellow Cores too. We are one and the same, but yes, that is the general idea. The more Cells I have or the more Cores like my great self gather together, the stronger we are. We are a hive mind. When we are all together we can easily smack even Xerneas and Yveltal into the dirt, those lazy bastards.' _Blob grumbled as he continued to burrow in and out of my blanket like a little mole._ 'I swear, all of these Legendary Pokemon know nothing but to sleep all day long. Are they not taking their duties seriously?!'_

"Wait, you _know _Legendary Pokemon? Like _personally?_" I asked in excitement. Blob doesn't seem to be the type to lie and given that it is definitely a pokemon that is currently not yet known to man, I wouldn't be surprised if it is linked to a Legendary pokemon or two.

_'I am the judge! The jury! The executioner! I am the mighty Zygarde!'_ Blob shouted at the top of his lungs. _'Of course I will know these little shits!'_

I continue to stare at the little green squishy thing jumping on my bed and think things over. Blob, a _Legendary _pokemon? He's so _harmless _and _small_. Besides, legendary pokemon _never _appear before humans unless absolutely necessary. Everytime they do, it heralds an age of change that may not necessarily bode good news.

Going by that logic, Blob definitely is not a legendary pokemon, but I won't be totally taken by surprise if he is related to one. After all, he is an unknown species of pokemon.

_'Oi, this mighty lord can sense your doubt in him all the way from here! Do not doubt me! For I am the embodiment of truth itself! I am the dutiful Overseer, the omnipotent Watcher of the world's ecosystem! Le Porion!'_

"I cannot just take your words at face value. I mean-" I try to reason with Blob logically as I gestured to his small self. "Do you think you _look _or act like a legendary pokemon right now? Nobody in recent history had seen Zygarde before but I'm pretty sure Zygarde is _waaaaay _bigger than a small blob."

_'Fine. I see that my words of wisdom will never get into that foolish brain of yours until I prove my words through actions._' Blob said with a haughty tone as he adjusted the way he is standing to make himself look more regal. I tried not to laugh out loud because the sight of it is just so cute.

_'Historian, right? Facts, I get it. **Facts**. The Kalos War you are so interested in? The perpetrator is still alive and wandering around today. The sinner that Xerneas had judged to be unworthy of death and condemned to live in regret for eternity. The sinner who brought about such a great calamity to Kalos and the world that **I **had to make an appearance and beat the two shits back into slumber. You want to know how the Kalos War ended? **I** ended it. The only other option was to have Xerneas and Yveltal fight it out by reviving and killing the region's inhabitants in an endless cycle. Those stubborn fools.'_

I hummed in thought. At this point I'm sorely tempted to write off whatever Blob is spewing out of his mouth as utter gibberish but for some reason, I don't think he is lying. At least, not totally. Still, I'm curious about how he is going to continue the tale. Lie or not, it makes for a great conversation and an interesting story anyway.

So, I decided to indulge in his little fantasy.

"Then the Ultimate Weapon? How does it play a role in all this?"

_'Oh, that abomination?' _Blob snorted. _'Helped a shitty human to bury it somewhere. Although I have to admit that crazy weapon is a piece of work if I do say so myself. The phenomenon you guys named Mega Evolution? You can say that the sinner was the inventor of this process. I would have turned a blind eye if he decided to use the power for a good cause but he just had to not only mess with the laws of life and death, the idiot used the weapon to massacre the region. One shot. Just one shot of the weapon was what tipped the scales. Nobody could keep still after that. Xerneas, Yveltal, me. We all have to act after the first shot was fired.'_

Blob lay on my pillow as he gave a sigh, indulging himself with how comfy it is.

_'Ah, soft and squishy. Pillows weren't that soft last I remembered. Ah… This is good…'_

I rolled my eyes. If Blob has a weakness, it will be to anything soft and snuggly. Still, I'm curious as to how he would end this little fantasy tale of his. He really does have a knack for storytelling.

"And then, what happened? What happened after the first shot was fired?"

_'Xerneas was mad, of course. To play with life and death in this manner is a huge taboo that disrupts the balance of this world. Shiny horns punished the idiot by taking away what he loved most and also gave him eternal life, forcing him to spend an eternity to atone for his sins and suffer the weight of regret crushing him forever. At that time, the war will also continue to take even more lives if it is allowed to continue. It must be stopped for the sake of the world's balance. Yveltal's solution was straightforward.'_

"Outright massacre, I take it?"

_'That's the only thing flappy bird knows how to do.'_ Blob rolled his eye. _'In flappy bird's opinion, there cannot be anymore wars if everyone is dead. And then Xerneas wasn't happy, because too many died at Yveltal's hands, so he began to revive people and pokemon. Then Yveltal wasn't happy, because Xerneas undid his work. And then it went back and forth until the two ended up in a big fight and the world's balance just got so out of whack because people keep dying and reviving and dying and reviving in a never ending cycle. And so, this mighty Overseer stepped in and knocked them back into slumber. There, the end.'_

I stared in stupefied silence. What kind of ending is this?

_'What? You wanted facts, didn't you? Here, you have it. And why are you not clapping for this mighty lord? I just told you I pummelled shiny horns and flappy bird into the ground. Clap for me.'_

"So…" I tried to organise the plot Blob had dumped on me into something simpler as I slowly formed my reply. "Kalos King invented Mega Evolution through the Ultimate Weapon. It revived his beloved pokemon and then he used the same weapon to commit genocide. Xerneas punished the King with eternal life and took away what he loved most. Yveltal ended the war through _more _killing. Then Xerneas and Yveltal fought and you stopped it?"

Well, not a bad story considering Blob crafted it right on the spot. He definitely is one creative blob.

_'That's the watered down version. I'm too lazy to go through the details.'_ Blob yawned as he snuggled into the pillow. _'Think about it logically. No matter how strong a weapon can be three thousand years ago, a single shot could not possibly result in a genocide. The Ultimate Weapon was fired more than once, if you really want to know, but Xerneas and Yveltal stopped anything after the first shot, albeit only partially successful in this endeavour but still, firing of the Ultimate Weapon alone bore irreversible consequences that still lingers around today.'_

"Like?"

_'Because the sinner fired the Ultimate Weapon so many times, now that overgrown reptile in space can use Mega Evolution too because one of the shots was redirected into space. That wasn't supposed to happen. Rayquaza wasn't supposed to get **even **stronger.' _Blob said in irritation and his body started to twitch a little, as if punctuating his annoyance even further._ 'You were investigating Key Stones and Mega Stones before we met, weren't you? When Xerneas and Yveltal were trying to redirect the shots fired by the Ultimate Weapon to prevent Kalos from being wiped out, some of their power were mixed into the energy fired from the Ultimate Weapon during the redirection. That was what produced those atrocities you are wearing now, the Key Stones. The Mega Stones are also vulgar products that resulted from it. You want to know how they were really formed?'_

I nodded, interested to see where Blob's story is taking this. For a random fictional story that he is spinning on the fly, it's actually pretty good.

_'The Ultimate Weapon works by shooting out these flashy dangerous beams. Thing is, when I mentioned **redirection **earlier, Xerneas and Yveltal meant it by redirecting those hazardous beams **out **of Kalos. They don't care what happens outside of Kalos because that is not what they are concerned with. Those same beams hit other regions and consequently, the people and pokemon who lived there. That was how Mega Evolution spread to the other regions. The result wasn't pretty. Even Arceus had to step in to prevent a war between legendaries because they were all angry that their respective homes were affected by Xerneas' and Yveltal's selfish decisions.'_

"I don't get it."

_'What do you think **really **happens when you get bathed in the beams fired from the Ultimate Weapon?' _Blob said with a scoff._ 'Humans and Pokemon alike become stones, like the one you are wearing now. Such stones are the result of a human that was unlucky enough to be bathed in that light and forcefully converted into many of these stones, which you humans now call the Key Stone. Pokemon that got bathed with that accursed light also got turned into stones, which you refer to as Mega Stones. Mega Evolution is the product of the bond between human and pokemon, very literally. The bond that is shared through the pain of those humans and pokemon three thousand years ago when they got turned into stones. The bond formed from sharing the same accursed fate.'_

Blob adjusted his position on my pillow before continuing.

_'In case your peasant brain **still **doesn't get it, these sorry folks didn't die. They **cannot **die, not any longer. They got turned into stones, a being that is neither living nor dead, a state where they can think yet incapable of thought, where they can feel yet cannot feel. They are not alive, not any longer, but neither are they dead. It's a contradictory existence, a cursed state stuck between life and death. The victims of the sinner's actions are destined to wander along the boundaries between the two for eternity.'_

"So what you are saying is that the beams fired by the Ultimate Weapon converts humans to Key Stones and pokemon to Mega Stones?"

_'Yes, but it's also partly because the powers of shiny horns and flappy bird were somehow mixed into it. People and pokemon turning into stones from the combination of their powers and the energy produced from the Ultimate Weapon was an outcome nobody could foresee. Those unfortunate victims from three thousand years ago now simply exist as these stones. A state where they are neither dead or alive, that is what they are.'_

Huh, what a dark and spooky story. Didn't know Blob had it in him to tell such a story.

_'Do you see it now, plebian? This is why Mega Evolution is unnatural. It's a power created through messing with the laws of life and death and disrupting the balance of the world. This is why this power is so powerful, because you literally bypassed all laws that define this world even if it's just for a short while. The consequences that resulted from it was why the Kalos King had been judged to be such a huge sinner that even Xerneas deemed that eternal life is the best punishment for that idiot. The idiot was the one who irreversibly changed the world's history through the abomination he created. Because of him alone, the world got so thoroughly screwed that even Dialga and Celebi could not do a thing to reverse the damage through turning back time, because the laws of the world had been flouted, including the law of time. That was why the punishment of eternal life was warranted, so that he will spend an eternity to atone for his sins and see for himself just what he had created and caused. It was to let him feel for himself the marks he had left on the world even after three thousand years. Death is too kind a punishment for a sinner like him. He needs to suffer the weight of his sins.'_

"So Mega Evolution spread to the other regions because these redirected beams got redirected out into Kalos and into those regions, and then those beams hit people and pokemon that lived in those regions, turning them into Key Stones and Mega Stones? They are… neither alive nor dead?" I tried to wrap my head around what Blob had said. Huh, for some reason the story Blob spinned kind of answered every single query I had about the history of the Kalos War. If only it was true it will make for an interesting piece of the world's history, albeit a little morbid and dark.

"What about Professor Sycamore's theory about the link between trainer-pokemon bonds and Mega Evolution?"

Yeah, let's see him try and explain that in his little tale.

_'Oh, that. Alright, try to visualise it this way. The stones are merely catalysts to invoke the process of Mega Evolution using the bond between humans and pokemon as fuel. The bond is what mutates the pokemon's genes through powering it with the lifeforce of the human who invoked that process. Argh, how do I explain this? Like, uh, ah hah! What are these new scary contraptions that I saw on the road called again? Cars?'_

"Yeah, cars. What about them?" I asked curiously.

_'If you need a car to start moving you need an… what's that thing called? Engine, right? So if Mega Evolution is the outcome, like how in the case of the car example the final outcome you want is to get the car to move, just imagine the stones to be like the engines. Without the engine the car cannot move. They are necessary but at the same time, cannot give you the outcome you want just by being present. The car cannot move simply because they have an engine. You need fuel to get the engine started. In the case of Mega Evolution, the fuel you need to activate the power stored in the Key Stones and Mega Stones is the bond between humans and pokemon and also their lifeforce.'_

"Lifeforce?" I mumbled to myself. It was the same conclusion I arrived at when I was learning under Gurkinn at the Tower of Mastery. _The lives of many pokemon were taken to restore its life._ Mega Evolution is a form of power that you gain at the cost of burning your lifeforce, Gurkinn confirmed that with me as well.

But what _exactly _is lifeforce? It's such an abstract concept.

Blob continued to spin his tale, bringing me out of my thoughts.

_'That's why Mega Evolution is so dangerous. To use Mega Evolution is to play with life itself. A human using this power in short bursts is fine, but you use too much of it and you're gonna die because you are cutting down on your lifeforce for the sake of power. Your pokemon sustains it for too long and it is also going to die, because its body won't be able to handle the prolonged stress that comes with the increase of power. There is a threshold that humans and pokemon alike absolutely cannot pass while using Mega Evolution if you don't want to shorten your lifespan. Mega Evolution is **not **natural, of course it won't hold forever. It will never be a permanent evolution process because it goes against everything that the world holds sacred.'_

I simply stared at Blob in silence and with dropped jaws. Disregarding whether he is indeed Zygarde, if what Blob said is true, then it actually explains **_many _**things.

"So, if I use Mega Evolution with Core, then I'm gonna cut my own life?"

_'Only if you are stupid enough to use it frequently.'_ Blob replied with visible irritation. _'Use it **sparingly**, you stupid mortal. Once or twice in a month should be fine provided you only use it for a few minutes each time. Just don't use it every week or so. Isn't it obvious? Power doesn't come from nowhere. Know your limits and where your threshold lies. If your lifeforce is what powers Mega Evolution, then you need to not hit that threshold where using Mega Evolution becomes fatal to your body.'_

"I have a question."

_'Speak, human.'_

"You keep talking about this lifeforce, but _what _is lifeforce _exactly?_"

_'Oh, it goes by many names throughout history. The most common way people back then refer to it was Aura.'_

"Aura?" I asked with a frown. "Like, Aura Sphere? That Aura?"

**_'Now _**_you get it. You are right. The move Aura Sphere is a move made possible by firing a concentrated blast of spiritual essence. The essence of life, that is Aura in a nutshell. Now keep in mind what I already mentioned, that Mega Evolution works by consuming one's lifeforce. Likewise, people who are naturally born with low lifeforce won't be able to sustain Mega Evolution properly, or they may even fail to invoke it at all. The only exception is when they are using it with Ghost types, because Ghosts are not bound to the laws of this world and they have close to zero lifeforce to begin with. Ghosts don't thrive on life, they thrive on chaos and death, the very opposite of the conditions needed to invoke Mega Evolution on pokemon of other typings. They operate based on a very different set of rules. Gurkinn explained that to you, did he not? "Mega Evolution is a power gained at the cost of life, yes, but it is also a power forged from bonds." He meant it literally.'_

"Wait, how did you know what Gurkinn told me?" I jumped up in alarm, the main concern on my mind having switched to something else. "There wasn't anybody else with us that day!"

_'My title of Watcher is not there for show, you commoner.'_ Blob snapped. _'I am the Overseer of Kalos. Even in my current weak state I know **everything **that goes on in there, including what your idiot of an uncle is trying to do. And while we are on that topic, let me tell you, he is **veeeeeery **close to testing my limits. If he ever dares disrupt the balance of this world, I will be the one to end him. If it wasn't for the fact that he's doing what he is doing with the right intentions, my other Cores would have ended him a long time ago. Still, for everyone's sake, I will tell you that he is treading on a very fine line. All it takes is a small misstep and he will be judged to have sinned. When that time comes, even if I don't want to act, Xerneas and Yveltal will. Whatever befalls the Kalos King will befall him.'_

I don't know why, but at that moment I just felt that Blob isn't any other pokemon. A part of me wanted to believe that he is really Zygarde itself, but the logical and rational side of me kept telling me that it couldn't be true because all I have right now are his words at face value.

Blob continued to speak again as he made himself comfortable on my pillow.

_'I see that you are still not convinced. Fine, I expected that much. After all, how do you verify the facts of events that took place more than three thousand years ago? You can't. But I'm the Overseer of Kalos, it's my job to watch the region and prevent it from crumbling. With the experience and wisdom I had gained in my infinite life I can safely tell you that the greatest wrongs often started out with the right intentions. The Kalos King is just one of many. Your uncle? He is very close in joining that list with the rate he is going. To make the world beautiful, pursuit of eternal beauty, infinite resources and energy for the sake of the region. Noble goals, I admit, but soon enough his obsession will corrupt his intentions. People often fell into the deep end because you idiotic mortals are too obsessed with your pursuits in your short lives, which leads to your incapability of putting your ambitions down. You humans need to learn to let go. Things will always change. Nothing is eternal in this world.'_

"Well, legendary pokemon are eternal, aren't they?"

_'We are still made of flesh and blood.' _Blob gave me a look as though I had just spoken the stupidest thing possible. _'It's not that we are incapable of dying, you mortals are just too weak to kill us. Everything in this world is a cycle. What goes around comes around. Even your existence is a cycle, the Seven Sages.'_

For the second time today, my breath hitched.

"My… existence. You know the truth about my… existence?"

_'Duh. How could I not? I mean, you are clearly unnatural.'_ Blob gave his best impression of a shrug._ 'You want to know why I was buried there in the badlands for so long in the first place? I could not get out because I don't have the power to. Sunlight is my sustenance. If I don't absorb sunlight for a long period of time, I don't have the energy or power to do anything else. I can't even call my Cells for help nor could they locate me, because my power was drained and I could not recharge when I was deep underground. No other humans who passed by the place where I was buried heard my plea for help but **you **easily did. Was that natural? Clearly no. What makes **you **so special then? I admit it did take me a while to figure out why you are so special and I only remembered when I was surveying Unova during these few days. Must be that prophecy that Arceus had a hand in centuries ago, or was it a few millennia ago? Whatever, that is not important.'_

"Blob, this is important to **_me_**." I stressed, agitated that there actually is a reason why I'm here living a second life. "If you know who and what I really am, then tell me."

_'What's important is that coincidentally, we are now in Unova, the place where it all started.' _Blob deadpanned._ 'You want to know the truth about your unnatural existence? Unova's legends of the Seven Sages, go check it out. Everything is a cycle, everything and everyone is linked to each other in an endless cycle. Everything is unrelated but at the same time, related to each other. That's all I'm going to say as thanks for getting me out into the sun once again. It's not my place to reveal more. I had already said too much.'_

Blob closed his eyes to catch some sleep while I just stared at him in shock. How did he figure my secret out? And Seven Sages? Prophecy? Arceus?

What even?

Just what the hell is going on?!

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**13\. ****Sandile (Rumble), Male**

**14\. ****Unknown creature, self-proclaimed Zygarde (Blob), ?**

**Asher Dandolos, Age: 19, Male, Dark Specialist, Historian, Son of Grimsley of Unova Elite Four**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Absol**

**2\. ****Bisharp**

**3\. ****Greninja**

**4\. ****Spiritomb**

**5\. ****Krookodile**

**6\. ****Scrafty**

**7\. ****Mandibuzz**

**8\. ****Liepard**

**9\. ****Cacturne**


	11. Chapter 11- More Questions than Answers

I don't know how much of Blob's words I can believe in but Blob's revelations from that day aside, I have to get to work the next day. We are going to unearth the ancient ruins that lay sleeping beneath the outskirts of Lacunosa Town. I will only have time to investigate what Blob told me that day once this project is over.

_'Really? So many people and pokemon just to dig out one measly clump of bricks?'_

Blob had decided to tag along today as he hid himself snugly within the pockets of my coat. He just couldn't stop yapping about how boring this entire thing is even if he was the one who made the decision to come here himself. According to him, the only reason he is here is because the sooner I'm done with the project here in Unova, the sooner we can go look for his 'Cells', whatever they are.

Currently, my ground and rock types had all spaced themselves evenly in a huge circle around the area where we had detected the ruins to lay beneath us. Even Rumble is participating. He may still be inexperienced, but this is as good a chance as any to learn and apply from the other members of the team how to properly utilise his ground type techniques. The rest of the team will be doing most of the heavy lifting anyway. Rumble is simply here to learn.

_'Don't say I didn't warn you, commoner, but considering the type of soil you are working with here the excavation won't go that smoothly. The moment you dug those bricks out it will simply sink back into the ground. The ground here is just that soft due to the recent rainfall.'_

"Planning to harden the ground the moment we got it out." I spoke softly under my breath. Not too loud such that other people can hear me, but loud enough for Blob to hear.

_'You overestimated what your pokemon can do. Skilled as they are for mere mortals, I doubt they can make things work the way you envision it to be considering the large size of the brick puzzle you are digging out. No matter, Le Porion is feeling generous today. This magnificent lord shall lend you a hand. Be thankful, human.'_

"Why, thank you." I replied dryly, amusement lacing my voice. I looked around, noting the thumbs up the other excavation teams gave me to signal that they are in place and ready. I put my fingers into my mouth and blew a whistle, signalling for my team to start the excavation.

The ground rumbled and shook as my ground and rock types began to work in tandem to unearth the ruins sleeping beneath us. There are a few steps to the entire process. Firstly, we will need to soften the earth enough so that the ruins can easily rise to the surface without obstruction. That can mainly be done with an application of Earth Power but we will need to take note not to accidentally liquify the ruins in the process. Once that is done, then we will need to move the earth to slowly let the ruins rise to the surface. However, like what Blob had reminded me, the ground here is too soft thanks to the recent bouts of rain. An ancient ruin made up of stone bricks and having an estimated size of 40m x 100m x 40m will be extremely **_heavy_**. It is going to sink back into the soft earth the moment we dug it out. Thus, we need to harden the earth beneath the ruin the moment we unearthed it. Sounds simple, but it is a delicate and tricky process considering that we don't want to damage the ancient ruin in any shape or form.

_'Oh dammit, it really is a bunch of bricks.'_

I ignored Blob's words as a silly smile spread across my face upon spotting what I came here for. It took some time, but my pokemon had managed to slowly push the ancient ruin out of the earth. We can already see the roof. It is being preserved in such a perfect condition that many details of the ruin's architecture can still be easily seen. There are already a few cheers from the nearby onlookers the moment they saw the small portion of the ruin peeking out from the ground. A ruin as well-preserved as this is rare to come across.

However, our progress stagnated from there. My pokemon are still trying to shift the earth but only the roof of the ruin peeked through the ground. A telepathic message from Vision told me that they are having trouble trying to solidify the ground beneath the massive ruin. Jaws, Mantle, and Sail are working on it but this is the biggest ruin that we have to uncover to date. It is taking every bit of concentration they have to complete their task. At this rate, they will soon tire and nothing will be accomplished from this.

"Blob? If you really want to help now is the time."

_'Hmph. Watch me.'_

With a speed faster than what my team could possibly accomplish together, the ancient ruin suddenly began to rise out of the earth again. Within half a minute, the ancient ruin stood before us in its full glory, sand and earth pouring down it as it saw the light of day once more. The earth beneath it had been fully solidified into hard, solid, _rock_.

Wow. Blob is _good_. He did all of that from where he is snuggling in my pocket.

_'Such an insignificant act and yet you mortals struggled with it. Commoners will remain as commoners.' _I heard Blob scoffing at us from within my pocket. I only smiled as I put my hand into the pocket and patted his little head. I don't know what he did, but he clearly did something to help. He really is an extraordinary pokemon despite his size.

"Thanks, Blob."

_'Hmph.'_

"Alright! Please leave the safety inspection to Team A! Once they give us the all green and confirm that it is safe to enter the ruins, then we can start our work for real!" I called out as the rest of the excavation team gave a chorus of agreement. Once Team A verified that the area is safe and the ruins won't collapse on us, we can begin on our archeological work. Until then, we can take a break.

"Nova!" Asher yelled a greeting over, hand waving in the air. There is a bespectacled woman beside him. "Over here!"

"Oh, Asher! It's nice to see you again!" I greeted him back. I have no idea who the woman standing beside him is, so I asked.

"And this is?"

"Shannon Juniper." Asher formally introduced me to the woman as we both shook hands in greeting. "Shannon, this is Nova."

My eyes widened in pleasant surprise. Shannon _Juniper?_ I've heard about her from my uncle.

"Oh, I heard about you! You conducted some research on how climate change affects migratory behaviour of pokemon in Unova, right? My uncle was very interested in your research." I said in excitement. Anyone who can earn my uncle's praise are definitely people that are worth noting. Getting a praise out of him isn't easy.

"R-Really?" Shannon squeaked out as her face visibly blushed. Huh, she seems the type to suffer from a lack of confidence. Couldn't tell from how well her paper was written.

"I personally think that your work was very good. My uncle had always been interested in making the world a better and more beautiful place, which was why your work caught his attention. He had been working for that cause for as long as I could remember." I told her as I signalled for Mantle to help create a bench made of rocks right beside us and I motioned for Asher and Shannon to sit on it as well while we continue our conversation.

_'Yeah, a better and beautiful place.'_ Blob said in a mocking tone. _'Let's just hope that he doesn't plunge the entire Kalos into disarray while he's at it, that is.'_

I ignored Blob's jab as I continued to talk to Shannon and Asher. I don't know why Blob has such a low opinion of my uncle when he wants nothing but the best for Kalos, but I can understand a little from where he is coming from. My uncle can take things to the extreme at times when he becomes obsessed with it.

"Shannon's a Juniper after all! A family of researchers!" Asher exclaimed excitedly with dramatic hand gestures. Shannon's face got redder.

"I-I'm just an ordinary researcher." Shannon visibly stuttered out. "Compared to many others in the world who had published countless works that had made a difference, I had only published one."

"Sometimes, the quality of the work beats the quantity." I tried to say as gently as possible. "Like how a single Relic Crown will sell at the price of 300 pieces of Relic Copper. To my uncle, your work is that Relic Crown. Have faith in yourself. I knew for a fact that your work is starting to garner more international attention in the research field."

_"I-I-International?! _I-I-I'm not ready for that kind of attention!"

"Then you better be. Who knows? Maybe one day you can be a Pokemon Professor, like Professor Oak of Kanto!" Asher teased and we watched in further amusement as Shannon's face got _even _redder.

Oh boy, she really needs a little boost in confidence.

* * *

There were a lot of things that we uncovered from the ancient ruins in the next few days.

Like we had suspected, this ruin served as a library but at the same time, we found that it also served as a temple of sorts. Our findings led us to believe that this ruin should be a temple that has its own library, a library so huge that it is unprecedented for its time. It is a goldmine of information about the era it was built in. Not only are many of the ancient books we uncovered here are in pristine condition, there are also words written in various ancient languages being carved onto the walls of the temple. Since I had memorised and learnt many ancient languages ever since I had become a historian, the time I had during these last few days since the ruin was unearthed was spent translating every single document that the archeological team had unearthed from the temple. I'm the best person for the job anyway.

From the looks of it so far, the purpose of this library is to store research and findings regarding pokemon that scholars of the past conducted. This is because a lot of the documents we had translated are scholarly documents that the scholars of that period of time had documented about their findings about pokemon, which led us to think this way. Most of what was documented by these ancient scholars, we already knew. Some of it, probably not. I will leave those to the experts, Pokemon Researchers like Aurea and Shannon Juniper. There are also other snippets of Unova's legends that I came across but I will review them later. Something else had popped up.

Someone on the team had stumbled upon an entrance to a secret room. Problem is, the entrance to the secret room is heavily boobytrapped. Asher and I are the strongest trainers around in the team, so we were called to help clear out those traps so that other people can enter. Since I was busy trying to translate these ancient books and documents together with the translation team, Asher had volunteered to get rid of the traps. However, he didn't have any luck in trying to get _into _the room even after he bypassed the traps. According to him, it's locked shut from within. Blasting the large and heavy stone door open is an option but we are afraid that it might weaken the infrastructure and cause a collapse of the ruins. That is where I come in, because I am a Ground Specialist and my pokemon specialises in liquefying rocks and earth.

_'What is this dusty and mouldy place?! This esteemed Porion should not be here!'_

"You can always choose to go out. Exit is that way." I retorted as I pointed the way where we came from. With Berg's help in freezing up the holes where the countless arrows, poisonous gas, and many other weird projectiles that are fired from there, reaching that huge stone door is a lot easier. Of course, we only got here that easily because Asher and his team had already helped mark out all the traps' location beforehand.

I continue to ignore Blob's nonsensical rambling as I studied the stone door in front of us. I could get my ground types to slowly break this door down and maybe liquefy it, but I have a feeling that it will cause a structural collapse with how the door was positioned.

"Nova? You there?"

"I'm over here!" I called out when I heard Asher calling for me. The Dark Specialist easily bypassed the traps Berg had frozen earlier. His absol walked beside him in an unhurried manner, looking at its surroundings with obvious distaste. Berg shifted himself a little from where he is beside me, giving Asher some space to come closer.

"So, any luck?"

"No." I shook my head and sighed. "The absurd size and thickness of the door aside, if I break this door down or get my ground types to liquefy it somehow it might cause the entire place to collapse. See how all the weight of the room we are in hinges on the door supporting it? How did someone even manage to create such an architectural design in that era? A door supporting the weight of an _entire _room? Open it and the entire room will _collapse?_ This thing is less like a door and more like an important pillar that holds up the entire area. It's unheard of. Why create a door that you cannot open?"

"There probably should be a secret switch somewhere." Asher reasoned. "How else are people going to enter the door?"

"But didn't we already search the entire place upside down and found nothing of the sort?" I asked curiously. "Like, we even did the movie cliche thing and touched every single brick on the wall. None of it is a secret switch."

Yeah, that was how desperate we are to find a way to open this impossible door. We actually did the movie cliche thing, much to my embarrassment. .

The both of us fell into silence as we got ourselves lost in our thoughts, staring at the huge stone door in front of us and hoping that doing so can somehow give us the answer on how we can open or bypass it.

_'Tsk, to be befuddled by such a simple task, makes me wonder if you two mortals truly have a brain.'_

My right eye twitched in annoyance upon hearing Blob's voice in my head again. He is especially grumpy today, which is getting a little annoying.

_'This door is designed to keep out everyone who is not meant to enter. You cannot open it. You can only pass through it. Only the one meant to enter can do so.'_

I wanted to open my mouth to retort, but held back because Asher is beside me. Blob won't want me to carelessly reveal his existence to anyone else, and if he really somehow is the legendary Zygarde, all the more so.

As if privy to my inner thoughts, Blob spoke to me once more through telepathy.

_'Just redirect your thoughts back to me like how you would do to a psychic. Sheesh. Do I still need to teach you how to do this?'_

I simply ignored his jab and did what he said.

_'Just explain what you mean by not opening it but can only pass through it.'_

_'You cannot feel it, but pokemon can. If your claydol is out of its pokeball right now it might be able to feel the strong psychic barrier casted on it.'_

_'In that case, why didn't Asher's dark types detect or break through the barrier? Dark types are immune to psychic type moves.'_

_'Pfft. I have to explain this too? This barrier is obviously casted by a pokemon way **stronger **than them. Something on a whole nother level entirely. Think about it this way. Do you think a newborn dark type stands a chance against the psychic type trained by a Pokemon Champion, type advantage or not? Same logic applies here. In the face of absolute power, things like type advantages mean absolutely **nothing**. The psychic type which casted this barrier is so powerful that it outclassed that moron's dark types. In fact, I won't be surprised if a Mythical or a Legendary was the one who did this. The barrier is just that powerful.'_

I bit the inside of my cheeks as I pondered over what Blob had told me. If what he said is true, then this door cannot be opened, it can only be passed through by those who are meant to enter.

_'So in order to explore what is within, we have to find the person who is meant to enter it?'_

_'That's the gist of it.'_

Great. How do we know who is meant to enter this room? How are we going to find such a person? Considering the age of the ruin, is there even such a person currently alive?

_'Commoner.'_

_'What?'_

_'Try it. Just walk through the door.'_

_'Are you crazy?'_

_'Are you **doubting **me? **ME?** The mighty Porion?'_

_'At this juncture, yes. You don't simply **walk **through a stone door at least two stories high and ten meters thick.'_

_'And why do you think so?'_

_'Oh, I don't know. Ever heard of common sense?'_

_'Common sense is a set of rules defined by foolish mortals that can never reach a higher realm. Reality is defined by what we believe to be true. Fact is, there are many things that we thought impossible that are also true. How else are you going to explain your existence? Can you explain that with common sense? Use your puny brain to think, mortal. What **really **is common sense? Explain to me.'_

For once, I cannot think of anything to argue against Blob's logic. He's right, my existence is not supposed to be possible. Common sense dictates that it should be impossible. Yet, here I am.

I glanced in Asher's direction. Hopefully, I don't look too much like a fool for doing this. It will be embarrassing if I simply walk towards the stone door and slam my face into it.

_'You better be right, Blob. I will look like an idiot otherwise.'_

_'Hmph. Has this mighty lord ever lied to you? Hurry with this, then we can be on our way to recover my lost Cells.'_

I gulped and took a step forward. I saw Asher's and Berg's surprised looks from the edge of my vision when I did so. I continue to walk forward and when I am just a single step away from knocking my face into the stone wall, I closed my eyes and prayed I didn't just make a fool out of myself.

I took another step. I felt nothing. I opened my eyes again.

_Where am I?_

"Nova? Nova! Nova!"

I turned around, only to be greeted with a large brick wall. I pressed myself against the wall and pounded my fist on it, but I cannot go back out like how I entered.

"I'm fine!" I shouted back, hoping that Asher could hear me somehow. If his voice could travel in here through the wall my voice should be able to do the reverse. "I'm in the room!"

"Really?! How?! You just… walked _through _it!"

"I don't know how to explain it!" I tried to gloss over the how as I shouted my reply. Right now, I'm worried that my starter might go berserk now that I just pulled the disappearing act on him. I don't want him to start knocking himself against the stone door and bring the entire ruin down on us in an attempt to get me out. "Berg, can you hear me? Stay calm out there, okay? I'll find a way out, promise!"

I heard Berg giving a low growl from the other side of the wall. He's agitated, that much is obvious, but he should be able to keep his cool now that he heard my voice. If something goes awry I could always call Vision out to teleport me out of here. I will be fine.

After reassuring Asher and Berg that I will be fine and that I will go in deeper to explore the room that I am in, I turned away from the wall to see what the room has in store for me. It's big and dark. I had to use the flashlight function of my Holo Caster to light up the room for me to see anything and even then it did not manage to light up the entire room. The top of the ceiling remains dark. Inscriptions written in a language long lost lined the brick walls. Even I don't know what it meant because I never saw such an ancient language before.

_'Interesting.'_ Blob commented as he poked his little head out of my pocket to look at our surroundings. _'I wonder who or what did this? This place emanates power, power that can only be found in Legendary or Mythical pokemon. Something strong had helped create this room.'_

"And if you were to make a guess, who do you think would be behind this?" I asked aloud now that there are only the two of us here. I had also released Tinen and Drift out of their pokeballs just in case I needed their help. I don't know what to expect in this room. Hopefully it is not riddled with traps like how its entrance was guarded.

_'No concrete guesses, but considering the impressive psychic barrier outside and the current region we are in, maybe the scoundrel Victini. Walking through a door that cannot be opened? That naughty little tyke loves to play these kinds of games.'_

We continue to explore the big room. It didn't take us long to find the only object that lays within the room. Right in the middle of the room is an altar, on it is a stone tablet the size of a book that has the same unknown ancient language written on the walls etched on it. Fearing that there may be unseen traps guarding the altar, I tried to take a closer look at the stone tablet from afar. Part of what is written on it has been erased or eroded due to time, but most of the content is still there.

_'Careful, commoner, there is also a psychic barrier protecting that stone tablet.'_

Blob's warning got us to stop in our tracks. Tinen lightly tossed a bone towards the stone tablet. True enough, the bone hit an invisible dome and bounced off.

Well, this is a problem. How are we going to retrieve that stone tablet if this is the case?

"Can I just walk through it like how I did for the door?" I asked Blob, who remained deep in thought as he looked at the stone tablet.

_'We can give it a try. It doesn't look like the barrier is a malign one given how it simply bounces the bone away. At worst, you will just bump into an invisible wall. There's really nothing much we can do about this psychic barrier, not with me in this state. But if you can walk through that door earlier, you might be able to do the same here as well.'_

And so, under Tinen's and Drift's watchful gaze, I slowly reached out a hand towards the stone tablet. I felt an invisible force pushing against my hand when I was about two metres away from it, but I decided to push further. The repulsive force increased in kind and I thought that this was it until the barrier suddenly vanished altogether.

What? What happened?

_'Look at it. It seems that you are certainly the one meant to enter this room.'_

Blob's comment certainly wasn't helping. I'm still standing there with my hand outstretched, my eyes blinking in confusion and my mind still trying to wrap around just _what _on earth happened. Why _me?_ Nobody else could enter this room until I came and I've never been to Unova before this. Why _me?_

Nevertheless, I slowly picked up the stone tablet. It's heavy, but not as heavy as I thought it would be.

It was then I heard it, a whisper at the back of my mind. A whisper that shocked my very being when I first heard it but at the same time had a soothing presence.

_We had waited a long time for you, Embodiment of Earth_

"Blob, did you say something?" I quickly turned to face Blob, who returned my question with an annoyed look.

_'What nonsense are you spouting? I haven't said a single- WOAH!'_

The room began to tremble and fall apart. Dust and dirt fell all over us as Tinen and Drift immediately got to my side to shield me from the falling debris. Strangely enough, their protection wasn't needed. None of the debris fell on us. They fell around us.

While the room is crumbling away, the inscriptions on the wall began to glow a bright golden hue, shining brighter by the second. Blob had quickly hid himself back into my pocket as Drift quickly casted a sphere of Protect around us. Tinen held onto her two bones and took a stance, ready to enter battle at the first signs of danger.

Then, it got blindingly bright. So bright that we all had to close our eyes. When we finally reopened our eyes, we were back to staring at that large stone door.

"Nova? What? How?"

Asher's dumbstruck look is probably the same look on my face as well. Somehow, we were teleported back to the entrance of the room, right in front of that same stone door where Asher and Berg were waiting for me. The only difference is that I now have a stone tablet that I am currently holding close to me, the stone tablet that I retrieved from that mysterious room.

"I… I have no clue, Asher." I replied lamely. "I don't know how to explain what happened."

Even when we revisited the large stone door everyday for the next few days, no matter how we tried, there wasn't any progress. Nobody could walk through that door. Even I could no longer walk through it.

The only clue we had is the stone tablet that I brought back, the stone tablet written in a language long lost to man.

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**13\. ****Sandile (Rumble), Male**

**14\. ****Unknown creature, self-proclaimed Zygarde (Blob), ?**

**Asher Dandolos, Age: 19, Male, Dark Specialist, Historian, Son of Grimsley of Unova Elite Four**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Absol**

**2\. ****Bisharp**

**3\. ****Greninja**

**4\. ****Spiritomb**

**5\. ****Krookodile**

**6\. ****Scrafty**

**7\. ****Mandibuzz**

**8\. ****Liepard**

**9\. ****Cacturne**


	12. Chapter 12- Turning Point

After the mysterious incident regarding that secret room, it's back to translating ancient texts we go. Asher and I decided to not tell anyone about the stone tablet yet because of the mysterious encounter that we had and the fact that our instincts were practically screaming that it is not something that we should disclose. It's going to be a secret among the two of us until we cracked the secret on what is written on the stone tablet.

Nobody other than Asher could identify the type of language that was etched on the stone tablet that I brought back from the secret room. According to Asher, it is a language known only to be used by one of Unova's lost civilisations. The thing is, there is very little to be found when it comes to that particular civilisation, the Efru civilisation. Nobody really knows much about their culture, religion, and even lesser knows the language they used.

Thankfully, Asher had compiled a series of what he knows about old and forgotten languages of lost civilisations into a book and he said that his book will have what we need to translate the ancient language on the stone tablet. It's like he made his own dictionary regarding ancient languages. He had left the site to go back home to retrieve said item for us. I remain at the site, translating documents after documents of ancient texts within one of the numerous tents that were set up there.

I still could not explain why I am the only one who could enter the secret room. Blob said that the pokemon who set up the psychic barrier had to be at least on the level of a Mythical or a Legendary and that only those who were meant to enter could enter. That barrier was set at least hundreds of years ago.

So why? Why _me? _Nobody could have predicted my existence hundreds of years ago, could they?

And then the voice I heard in my head when I first picked up the stone tablet in that room. It was so soft that I could have written it off as some sort of hallucination but I _know _that I wasn't hallucinating. Something had definitely spoken to me that day. I just don't know _what _that something is.

It's creeping me out.

I put aside the ancient book whose contents I had been helping to translate. I had only just finished translating this book. I stood up and stretched myself. I should probably go out for a walk to relax before going back to work.

"Yo, Nova! Done with translating another book?"

"Yup!" I replied with a skip in my steps. "Once we're done with translating we can go in-depth into the interpretation of the history behind the documents! I can't wait for it!"

"I swear, with the rate you are translating those ancient texts I would have believed if people told me that a machine was the one behind it. You are too damn fast, girl!" Another Unova archeologist, a middle-aged man with a bushy beard, laughed out loud. "Slow down! You are making us old timers look bad!"

I did not manage to form a reply this time for something that I would have never expected to happen, happened.

The ground shook as a loud explosion happening from somewhere faraway could be heard. Many of us fell to the ground from the tremor, me included.

"That was from the direction of Lacunosa! What happened?!"

All the way from _Lacunosa?_ The ruins we are at is right outside at the edge of town. If the tremor here is that bad, I don't want to think how much worse they have it there and- Shit. Asher is there, isn't he?! Pretty sure a few members of our excavation and archeological team are there too!

In any case, as far as I know I'm the only decent trainer around now that Asher is absent. I need to take charge of the situation.

"Everyone, listen!" I quickly stood up and released my entire team, who quickly went alert upon hearing the tone of voice that I am using. "Gather everyone and move back away to Point C where it is the furthest from town! I don't know what is happening at Lacunosa but it cannot be anything good! Do a quick headcount and quickly contact whoever is not here with us right now! Do **_not_**, in **_any _**circumstance, leave without protection! I will protect our work and your lives as best as I can! Trust me!"

There were still a few people who were in a daze and it was only when the older and more experienced members got them out of their stupor did people start to react. I quickly instructed my ground types to raise walls of earth and create defensive bunkers to protect everyone from whatever may come in case they are coming. We are only starting to really dig into what the ruins really contain so even we have no idea how valuable our research is. However, it is not unheard of for bandits or the likes to come and steal our work once we unearthed them.

In any case, we may very well be a target.

After they were done with creating small individual bunkers, it didn't take long for my ground types to raise a gigantic dome of earth that covers the entire site and shield it from any possible external threats. It will be dark inside the dome but the archeological teams have lamps and many other sources of light to use. They will be fine.

"Vision, scan the area! Seis, Terra, I'm leaving the detection to the both of you! Rest of you, shape the entrance of the dome such that there will only be one way in and out and that will be through us! Be on alert!"

Like I had commanded, with the dome now fully built and functional there is only one entrance in and out of it and that is through where we are guarding it. My claydol's psychic powers will be enough to detect anything we couldn't see. If there are any hostiles approaching by foot my whiscash and torterra will be able to sense them through the vibrations of the earth.

_'Incoming.' _Blob helpfully mentioned in my mind. _'A group of ten. They are the ones who just laid a siege on the town, I'm still working on getting the specifics. It will take some time to learn more about the perpetrators given the lack of any Cells here and my current pathetic state. You are on your own, commoner, I cannot fight the way I am now.'_

"Thanks, Blob." I thanked him before barking out a command for my team to get ready. I don't know how he just knew about things sometimes but I am not going to question it right now.

As it turns out, Blob was spot on. A group of ten trainers with funny looking cultish uniforms that reminds me a little of medieval knights soon appeared, their pokemon already released and charging at us in a frontal attack.

Team Plasma, huh?

The whole world knows about them. A non-government group that borderlines a zealous and fanatic cult in an attempt to "liberate" all pokemon from trainers. The only reason why they aren't designated as a villainous group or a terrorist organisation thus far was because technically, in legal jargon, they had done nothing so far to warrant such a label. They are dancing just right out of grasp of the law. However, their ideologies are potentially dangerous given what they actively preach and how far their influence had spread across the Unova region. Thus, even though it is with great reluctance that the Unova League were unable to slap the illegal label on Team Plasma due to legal reasons, they had been keeping a careful eye on them.

I guess after today, Team Plasma will officially be designated as a terrorist organisation given what they are doing right now.

"Bulldoze!"

Berg unleashed a powerful Bulldoze that forcefully hindered Team Plasma's charge. That was the unspoken signal for pokemon on both sides to launch themselves into battle. Core and Jaws led the team as they stormed ahead. I'd like to see those Team Plasma goons try and take on a furious garchomp and a tyrantrum. These two pokemon are feared for a reason. They are ridiculously powerful as a species.

"Mantle! Split them!"

Upon my command, my gigalith raised walls of stone with such a rapid speed that it took Team Plasma by surprise. With just one move, we successfully separated the Team Plasma trainers from their pokemon. It's easy to tell at a glance that the group of Team Plasma trainers have nothing much to write home about when it comes to their individual skills. Their pokemon are not that well-trained. Without anyone giving them instructions on what to do, the Team Plasma's pokemon were soon confused on what to do and were starting to fall into disarray. The rest of my team easily cleaned up the battle while Tinen went to swiftly knock the Team Plasma members out.

"Vision! Anymore coming?!"

My claydol replied with a negative. Guess Team Plasma might have underestimated my strength, thinking that sending only ten trainers would be enough. Well, I'm not going to question my good luck and accept it for what it is.

"Make sure they cannot move."

My pokemon began to shift the earth and wrap it around the fallen Team Plasma grunts and their pokemon before compacting them to such an extent that it hardened to be as tough as rock. There's no way they are getting out of this without external help. Now that I know the excavation site is likely to be safe, my mind now has the luxury to wander over to those who we know are in Lacunosa right now. Are they safe? Do they need help?

Unfortunately, I'm stuck here because I'm the only one left to protect the work of the archeological team and the lives of the members here. I will have to place my faith in Asher to protect those who are in town.

Hopefully, they will be alright.

* * *

_In loving memory of Asher Dandolos. Beloved son, courageous trainer, and a brilliant historian. _That is what it says on his tombstone.

I don't have the full picture of what truly went on at Lacunosa. All I knew was that Team Plasma had staged a siege on it for reasons unknown to the public. The survivors of Lacunosa all said that Asher was instrumental in defending the town as long as he did. It was what brought down the casualty rate to the lowest before reinforcements arrived. If it wasn't for him, things at Lacunosa would have been a lot worse. To the survivors of the Lacunosa attack, Asher is a true hero, one worthy of respect.

I feel the same way too. How many would willingly subject themselves to mortal danger just to protect people who he never knew? Asher is a true hero.

A few members of our archeological team had died in the attack, Asher included, and we are all here to pay our last respects. On that fateful day, a total of a hundred and two had died in Lacunosa due to Team Plasma's actions. Safe to say, they are now officially a legally recognised terrorist organisation.

However, as incredulous as it sounds, many people are still defending Team Plasma because of their religious belief that they share with them. Dealing with Team Plasma while taking note of the public sentiments is definitely going to be a pain for Unova, but that is no longer my concern. It's not like I can help anyway. I'm just a historian and I am not an Unovan.

Thanks to the attack, the Unova League had suspended any research activities that our archeological team had for an undetermined period of time because it is obvious that the excavation site was one of Team Plasma's targets too. Everything that we had uncovered so far were handed over to the League and further research will only be conducted later when everything has died down. The ruins will be guarded by trainers from the League.

The only thing I didn't hand over was the stone tablet.

I don't know why I did it, but I just had a feeling that keeping it with me was the better option. I don't even know how to explain other than the fact that a sixth sense of mine was practically screaming at me to keep it to myself.

So, I did just that, even if my actions are technically illegal.

However, without the book Asher promised to bring there's no way I could crack the ancient language of the stone tablet. I don't know how else I should proceed but maybe my uncle would know an expert or two in cracking codes. Maybe he can help.

My holo caster beeped, showing me a written text message from my uncle. After the attack on Lacunosa it's obvious to everyone that Unova is no longer safe. My uncle, being the worrywort that he is, wants me to get out of there as soon as possible.

At this juncture, I am inclined to agree. Unova is definitely no longer safe.

Knowing that I needed something to keep myself busy to take my mind off recent events, through his connections, my uncle had found work for me in Johto to help in investigating the famous Ruins of Alph. I cannot help but smile at the thought. The _Ruins of Alph_. He really does spoil me.

There was a knock on the door of the hotel room. I opened it, only to spot Shannon. Her slightly puffy eyes told me that she obviously had been crying and she's wearing a full black. I had heard that she was with Asher at Lacunosa when the attack happened and that she had seen him die in front of her eyes.

I wish I could do something for her, but I don't know what I should do.

"Hello, Nova. If you do not mind, can we have a talk?"

"Yeah, sure." I invited her in.

Little did I know, this meeting was what marked the turning point of my life.

* * *

"I see. If he hadn't went back to take-"

I cannot help but blame myself a little when I had heard from Shannon just how Asher had sacrificed himself. He was at Lacunosa only because he went back to take his self-made dictionary on ancient languages for my use. I know it is unreasonable to blame myself for his death, but I can't help it. If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't be there at Lacunosa and he wouldn't have died to Team Plasma.

"If it's anybody's fault, it lies with Team Plasma." As if sensing my thoughts, Shannon quickly cut in. "But Asher was so excited about learning what was on that stone tablet. I thought that the least I could do now is to deliver his book to you so that we can find out what it says."

As it seems, Asher had told Shannon about the existence of the stone tablet right before the attack happened. Since the stone tablet wasn't on the list of items handed over to the Unova Pokemon League, Shannon had guessed that it was still with me because I'm the only other person to know of its existence. That is why she came to find me.

"I'll do it. It's the least we can do." I replied immediately. If finding out the truth behind the stone tablet was what indirectly caused Asher's death, then the least I could do is to solve the mystery behind it. Shannon had managed to find Asher's dictionary during all the chaos during the attack on Lacunosa and had brought it with her to find me. With the dictionary in hand, I can probably crack open the secrets on the history of the stone tablet.

At least, we can learn a thing or two on what was etched on it.

I sat down and put the stone tablet, Holo Caster, and Asher's dictionary on the table and got to work. Upon flipping open the first page I already knew that Asher must have put in a lot of effort in creating this dictionary. There is a detailed content page on the very first page and there are at least fifteen different types of ancient languages that he had decoded and documented. Some of these languages are not commonly seen or known to man.

For him to go through all this effort and compile a dictionary like this, he must have put in a lot of effort into his work in studying the histories of ancient civilisations. The neat and meticulous way he created this dictionary says it all.

It didn't take long for me to identify and find what I needed in his dictionary. Like he said, this language belongs to the Efru civilisation. I also used this time and quickly scanned the entirety of Asher's dictionary into my holo caster as holographic images. I also scanned the ancient stone tablet too.

"Parts of the text on the tablet are missing because they were eroded due to time, but it should be enough for us to find out the gist of what is written on it." I explained as I began to translate what is written on the stone tablet onto a blank piece of paper with a pencil.

_"In times of … seven otherworldly sages-"_

My eyebrows rose a little higher when I began to translate the first few words using the dictionary Asher left behind. The Seven Sages, huh? Who would have thought that this stone tablet documents the history of the Seven Sages?

I had researched a little about the legends of the Seven Sages in my free time after my conversation with Blob that day. The Seven Sages is a pretty famous bedtime story in Unova, talking about how in ancient times when the world was in turmoil, seven people stood up to help defend the world and bring peace to the lands. These people would later be known as the Seven Sages.

As with all myths and legends, there are people who claim this to a fictional story, but there are also an equal number of Unovans who believed it to be true even till today. Team Plasma itself also has seven highly intelligent people from all around the world to fill the role of the Seven Sages and serve as their spiritual leaders, claiming that these seven people are the chosen ones destined to lead the world towards peace under a worthy King. Using the story to back the legitimacy of their deeds and reasserting that the story is true, Team Plasma self-proclaimed themselves as the next coming of the Seven Sages, the saviours of the world. The way that they are going about doing the saving is by liberating all pokemon.

Whole lot of bullshit, in my opinion, but there's really nothing I can do about that.

I continue to mindlessly translate the words on the stone tablet and it was when I got further into the first sentence did I realise what the stone tablet really is talking about.

_"-will be called upon, displaced and reborn from the cycle of death, they will rise to… each sage -"_

_Displaced and reborn from the cycle of death. _Reincarnation? Myths and legends about reincarnation in this world aren't all that rare, it happens in almost every religion even back in my own world but if it is **_this _**stone tablet, then things change.

**_I _**was the only one who could find it and bring it back out. The psychic barrier that protected this stone tablet _only _allowed _me _to enter, proving that Blob was right. The secret room can only be entered by those who were meant to enter it and I was the person meant to find and enter it. I was wondering **_why _**that was the case but now that **_reincarnation _**had been brought up…

_'Everything in this world is a cycle. What goes around comes around. Even your existence is a cycle, the Seven Sages.'_

Blob's words to me that day suddenly rang in my ears once more, words that I had written off as nonsensical ramblings.

_'What's important is that coincidentally, we are now in Unova, the place where it all started. You want to know the truth about your unnatural existence? Unova's legends of the Seven Sages, go check it out. Everything is a cycle, everything and everyone is linked to each other in an endless cycle. Everything is unrelated but at the same time, related to each other.'_

This is a little bit of a far stretch, but had people of the past actually somehow foretold the possibility of my existence and left this stone tablet just for _me _to find? _Impossible_, right?

_Right?_

In any case, I have to find out more about the legends of the Seven Sages. For once, Blob's words don't sound like nonsensical ramblings any longer.

I **_have _**to get to the bottom of this.

"Nova? Nova?"

"H-Huh?"

I was brought back to reality when Shannon lightly shook my shoulders to snap me out of my thoughts.

"You seem lost in thought. Are you alright?" Shannon asked in concern. I quickly waved it off.

"I'm fine. It's just that…"

Shit. How do I explain my weird behaviour from earlier without coming off as being overly suspicious? Already, she is looking at what I had translated so far on that piece of paper.

_"In times of … seven otherworldly sages will be called upon, displaced and reborn from the cycle of death, they will rise to… each sage -"_

Given what Blob had said about my unnatural existence and the legends of the Seven Sages, I'm not exactly sure if I want to continue translating the stone tablet in Shannon's presence. What if the contents of the stone tablet somehow contained more information about me that I don't want to share with others? I had already left my previous life behind. I was fine with that. So _why _is it coming back to haunt me **_now _**of all times?

Damn it. Nothing's going right.

I took a glance in Shannon's direction, only to realise that she is somehow on the verge of a panic attack.

"-non? Shannon? Shannon!"

When she is not responding, I had no choice but to lightly slap her on the cheek to get her attention. I know she was shaken by Asher's death but even then, her reaction just now was not natural. Why would she have a panic attack simply by staring at the uncompleted sentence that I had translated thus far?

"What happened? You almost had a panic attack!"

I helped her to quickly calm down as my thoughts about the stone tablet went forgotten in favour of getting Shannon to relax and calm down. Shannon had been through quite a lot in Lacunosa and I would not be surprised if she ended suffering from some sort of PTSD after experiencing what had happened there. She needs some support.

I wasn't expecting her to suddenly blurt out the last thing I would expect her to say.

"D-Do you know about… t-the… United States of America?"

**_What?_**

_No way_. How would she know about America? That tidbit of knowledge _shouldn't _be known by anyone else but _me_, unless-

_She's like me._

I stared at her, dumbstruck. Could it be? It couldn't be, but…

In any case, I have to get to the bottom of this. This is not time to second guess. It's sink or swim now.

"... I also know about China. Australia. New Zealand. Asia. And many more."

I decided to throw all caution to the wind and indirectly tell her about knowledge that only people from my world would know. I knew I had my answer when she simply stared at me in silence. She didn't need to say another word and neither do I. Our reactions had already told each other all that we needed to know.

_We are the same. We are both reincarnated souls._

"N-Nova?" Shannon broke the tense silence when she finally struggled to speak up. "W-What's going on?"

I gave a tired sigh.

"I don't know, but I think we should continue and find out."

Not that I'm unhappy to see that I'm not alone in this world, that there is actually someone else like me out there in this world, but this is still really _not _my day.

I soon got back to translating whatever is still readable on the ancient stone tablet and wrote it on that same piece of blank paper. There were certain portions of the text that had eroded and became unreadable but soon, whatever I could translate appeared in front of us and we read it together.

_"In times of … seven otherworldly sages will be called upon, displaced and reborn from the cycle of death, they will rise to… each sage holds power that mortals know not, each having a unique strength… unite the world, liberate the world from chaos and bring about a new dawn… different titles:_

_Shadow, Vanquisher of Darkness_

_Flier, Symbol of Courage_

_Traveller, Companion of Chaos_

_Leader, Incarnate of Lightning_

_Scholar, Eye of the Mind_

_Watcher, Embodiment of Earth_

_Guardian, Protector of Lives"_

And damn if this doesn't scream spooky and ominous.

"W-What does this even mean?!"

Shannon's response was understandable. Even I cannot help but have the same thoughts as her. We are both equally agitated, frustrated, and afraid but freaking out right now will not be of any help.

"Calm down, Shannon. Freaking out doesn't help anyone! I'm equally lost too! I thought I was the only one!"

"I wasn't even a true fan of pokemon back in… those times!" Shannon hissed back. "Why am I even here?! Seven Sages?! Unite the world?! Liberate it from chaos?! BRING ABOUT A NEW DAWN?!"

"Can you just _calm down _for a second?!" I shouted back, my frustration boiling to an all-time high due to what the stone tablet possibly meant, that reincarnated souls are people who are destined to be the Seven Sages. "Fact is, we are _already _here. And if what the tablet says is to be believed, there are _five _more people out there in this world like _us_. _What _are we going to do about it?"

"I don't want to have _anything _to do about it. I don't even know that Unova existed until I came here!"

"Same for me. I don't even know if Kalos was a region that was in the games from back then. I didn't play the games that far." I admitted. "I don't know what is going on and why we are here, but maybe _they _know."

I pointed to the seven titles written on the paper.

"Look, this is what I think, if we exclude the forsaken land that is Orre, there are also exactly seven regions that made up the world that we currently know. Somehow, everything is about the number seven. Seven Sages, seven regions, you with me so far?"

I paused for a moment for Shannon to catch up to my train of thought and the logic which I'm running by. After staring at the translated text for a short moment, she turned to look at me.

"You mean, there is one of us to be found in every region."

"That's what I'm suspecting because both of us are born in different regions." I quickly threw out my speculations. "I'm also doing a wild guess here, I have no real clue on what to do about this new information."

"And _how _are we supposed to find them? Even if we want to find the rest of them and see if they have answers, _how?_ How are we going to identify them? We cannot possibly go around and ask random people if they know what America or China is! There's too many people to ask!"

I sighed and facepalmed. I'm too tired to deal with something like this.

"I don't know, Shannon. We barely know each other and now we found out that we are the same kind of people. All I wanted to do was to do what I like and uncover the history of this world."

"I just wanted to be an ordinary researcher." Shannon groaned as she covered her face with her hands.

When both of us are finally done freaking out, we looked at the translated text once more.

"I should be the one that holds the title of _Scholar_." Shannon spoke up after a moment of silence, catching my attention.

"What makes you so sure? Simply because you are a researcher?"

"No, that was what every wild psychic type referred me as when they talked to me through telepathy. They called me the Mind's Eye. Mind's Eye. Eye of the Mind. That's no coincidence."

I turned back to look at the translated text, spotting the title of _Scholar, Eye of the Mind._ My gaze went further down and I spotted it.

_Watcher, Embodiment of Earth_

I broke out in cold sweat. Wasn't _Embodiment of Earth _what the unknown voice referred to me as when I was in that secret room?

Now I'm certain. This isn't some mere coincidence. There are too many facts that I cannot ignore. Reincarnation. The accuracy of the titles and the supernatural events that I had experienced in that secret room. I was called the Embodiment of Earth by that unknown voice and I was the only one able to enter that secret room. Blob's revelation that day, where he told me that I was related to the legends of the Seven Sages and then this stone tablet appears to prove it just days later.

This _definitely _is not a coincidence.

Oh fuck me. Am I really destined to be one of the Seven Sages or some shit like that? I have no desire to be one! And what if Team Plasma found out about this?! They will definitely come hunt for my head as soon as they know about it in order to solidify their standing and power in the region! Religion is what gained them so many devout followers because people _believed _in the legends of the Seven Sages and their cause, terrorist organisation or not. If I just straight up reveal whatever this stone tablet has it will cause a collapse within the different factions of Team Plasma and I have absolutely zero interest in getting myself involved with it.

In any case, I pointed to what I think is my corresponding title and told Shannon about it.

"In that case, I should be the Watcher, the Embodiment of Earth. I have an unnatural affinity for ground types, which is why I became a Ground Specialist in the first place. Ground types just seemed to love me."

"Wait, unnatural affinity?"

"Yes. I can… understand them. I don't know how, I just can." I tried to explain my gift as best as I can without trying to think too much about what we just learnt from the stone tablet. "It's not like I can understand them word for word, but I somehow know what they are talking about on a very instinctive level. Wild ones, trained ones, even those captured by other trainers. I can understand them as long as they are ground types."

"My affinity is with psychics. My beheeyem said that I am special to them." Shannon quickly responded which caught me by surprise. So she has an affinity towards a certain pokemon typing too? Just like me? Oh dear, I have no idea if I want to rejoice at the fact that I am not the only weirdo on this planet with such a gift or curse at the fact that we reincarnated souls are more alike than I am comfortable with.

Shannon continued to talk, unaware of what is going on in my mind.

"So, if we assume that words like Darkness, Courage, Chaos, Lightning, Mind, Earth, and Lives are actually referring to pokemon types, then-"

"Each of the other five people, people like us, also have some sort of… super power. Unnatural ability. Whatever." I said with a wave of her hand, just wanting to get this creepy revelation over and done with. "We just need to find out what types they are and which region we can possibly find them in. _If _we even want to find them."

"Actually… why not?"

"Why _yes?_" I questioned as I pointed at the translated text. "This whole thing just screams ominous to me. In times of…? I bet the missing word is chaos, or something similar. Nothing good will come out of it if all seven of us come together. It's like fulfilling some… some sort of _prophecy _or something!"

"What if we _have _to find each other?" Shannon countered. "We both know that us having a second chance is no accident. Why had we not found out about this sooner? Why is it **_you _**who found this tablet and nobody else? Why do we only find out about this _now_, when Asher's dictionary just _so happens_ to be in **_my _**hands and I met **_you _**_here _in Unova?"

Tried as I might, I could not form a reply because I know that she is _right_.

"Maybe you are right." I reluctantly admitted. "I was the only one who managed to enter that room and take this tablet out. No one else could enter."

"Jesus Christ. All I wanted was to research pokemon." Shannon muttered as she sat back down onto a nearby chair and visibly sagged. "What can I even do to... what? Save the world? Be a hero? Claim that we are the true Seven Sages? Team Plasma will silence us even before we stepped out of the door if they get wind of this."

"Then we keep this a secret. With my uncle's connections I can send this stone tablet back to Kalos without anyone finding out, secure it under lock and key in the most protected vault of Lysandre Labs. Asher's dictionary cannot be left behind, we need to destroy it. I had already memorised what I need to know to translate similar languages."

It pains me to physically destroy Asher's work, one that he completed after much blood, sweat, and tears, but this one time, I have to be selfish if I do not want my secret and Shannon's to get out. If word about this stone tablet and our reincarnated status does get out, nowhere would be safe for Shannon and I against Team Plasma's wrath because our very existence undermines their legitimacy. I'm also very sure that Shannon and I sure as hell don't want to be worshipped as a Sage nor do we want our loved ones to find out who we really are.

So, we have to erase as much evidence as we can.

"What? You already memorised the _entire _thing?"

"Photographic memory." I shrugged. "I got lucky, I guess, to be born with something like that in this life."

"Real lucky." Shannon grumbled before asking me another question. "Should we try to crack as much as we can about the remaining five? I'm sure we can deduce _something _out of this."

"Let's start with the first one then." I replied. Might as well try to figure out as much as we can since we are already at it. "Shadow, Vanquisher of Darkness."

"Sounds so ominous." Shannon muttered before going silent once more. I can see that she was probably reminded of something from how she has that faraway look in her eyes and I don't want to disturb her train of thoughts. But when her silence got a little too long I had no choice but to call her name again.

"...Shannon?"

"I think I know who this Shadow person is." Shannon visibly trembled before looking back at me. "Grimsley, Grimsley's eldest son. Asher's older brother. Grimsley mentioned that his eldest son displayed an unnatural affinity for dark types, dark types are just attracted to him somehow. B-But Grimsley lost him in Kanto to a fire about a week after he was born. His body was never found. There wasn't even a name for him because his parents never got around to decide what to name him until that incident."

"But what if he never died in that fire?" I quickly offered my view on things because what Shannon told me alone contains many suspicious points that should be further scrutinised. "I think it's not a far stretch to say that for both our cases, we are loved and protected by pokemon that belong to a certain type. For you, it's psychic. For me, it's ground. For Grimsley's son, it's dark. If he was so loved by dark types to the point that there will always be one or two watching him from some unseen corner, maybe he was rescued from the fire by a Dark type without knowing who he really is."

"And he would most likely still be in Kanto, because that's where Grimsley lost him." Shannon added after realising the point in which I'm trying to drive at.

"Probably. So that's one out of the way. There is another one of us in Kanto with an affinity for dark types, so this is what we will be looking out for if we ever go to Kanto."

We both fell into another period of brief silence until Shannon spoke up again.

"Call me crazy, but what if the order of the titles listed here happens to be the same order as which regions were first united by their respective champions right before they came together under the Pokemon World League?"

I turned to stare at Shannon, mouth closing and opening without a sound because damn, that speculation of hers actually makes some _sense _the more I think about it.

"What makes you think that way?"

"Look." Shannon pointed at the respective titles as her finger slowly went through each of them one by one. "Kanto was the first region to be united, followed by Johto. Together, they created Indigo. That is a piece of history that everyone knows. Assuming that Shadow really is in Kanto, then it means he is currently staying in the first region to ever be united and his title also happens to be at the very top of the list. Hoenn was united next, followed by Sinnoh, then Unova, Kalos, then finally Alola. My title of Scholar is the fifth one, your title of Watcher is the sixth. _The order fits_."

I stared at the translated text and took some time to think about what Shannon said. I could not find anything to argue against her logic.

"I think you are right. This is too much to be a coincidence. So, the Flier is in Johto then? Symbol of Courage?"

"Flying types." Shannon answered immediately. "The title given is Flier, so it should be flying types."

"It would." I agreed. "In ancient times flying types are also sometimes seen as a representation of freedom, righteousness, and courage. It would fit."

My finger went down to the next title.

"Traveller, Companion of Chaos."

"That… I don't really know." Shannon said with a sigh. "Chaos can mean anything. Companion of Chaos doesn't sound like anything good, to be honest."

"But if chaos means a certain pokemon typing, then it only means that this person has a high affinity for a certain type of pokemon. And this Traveller probably travels a lot too, and is from Hoenn."

"My beheeyem call dark types creatures of the void, so it's not dark types, and Shadow is probably the one with an affinity for dark types anyway. Vanquisher of Darkness and all that, which… I don't know. Why would he vanquish his own affinited typing?"

I shook my head and explained what I know to Shannon. Translations are not always 100% accurate.

"I think it's just a matter of grammar. Certain meanings of the words have been lost to translation. This is the best I can do. Grimsley's lost son being the Vanquisher of Darkness made a lot of sense to me. Grimsley is a renowned Dark Specialist. Furthermore, Shadow was born in Kanto."

"Are we telling Grimsley ab-"

"No." I replied immediately. A fellow reincarnated soul like Shannon finding out about my secret is fine, but no way I'm risking the chance of anybody else finding out my secret.

"Okay. I feel the same too. I don't want anybody else that is not people like us to find out about our status too." Shannon quickly replied, probably feeling a little afraid from how I had snapped at her just now. "And about this Companion of Chaos… Maybe it refers to ghost types? The energy they emit has been referred to as chaotic by many researchers worldwide."

"So someone in Hoenn who possibly has an affinity for ghost types." I nodded in understanding. Well, that explanation actually made sense. "Next. Leader, Incarnate of Lightning. The pokemon typing for this one is pretty obvious."

"Affinity for electric types, but why Leader?"

"I don't know why, but the first thing I thought about when I saw the word 'Leader' was Gym Leader." I shrugged in response. "Since this title is the fourth in line, does Sinnoh have-"

The both of us turned to face each other in perfect unison when we hit upon the same thought at the same time.

"Volkner."

"Last I heard, he retired from his position as Gym Leader and disappeared about a year ago." I added. "It was right after he played a vital role in protecting Sinnoh and dealing a crippling blow on Team Galactic. Nobody knows where he disappeared to."

"We don't even _know _if Volkner is the person we are looking for. Leader can mean many things. There are many types of leaders."

"Sinnoh. Lightning. Leader. Tell me this is a coincidence."

"I… Alright, you have me there." Shannon conceded. "Let's see if we have any way to track Volkner down. I don't think we can straight up contact the Sinnoh League and ask for Volkner's phone number, they will just throw us out. We need to think of something else."

"Let's think of how we are going to interpret the last one." I turned Shannon's attention back to the very last title. "Guardian, Protector of Lives."

"I have no clue, Nova."

"Neither do I. This is too vague. Many pokemon protect each other in their natural habitat even if they are from a different species, it is a behaviour observed in all pokemon types. This can mean _anything_."

"The only thing we can make an educated guess about is that this Guardian is from Alola, and has an affinity with a specific pokemon type like us."

"I have to leave Unova tomorrow." I spoke up after a brief moment of silence. "We'll destroy this book and the translated text. I can use my uncle's connections to send this tablet to Kalos without anyone else knowing and secure it in the safest vault Lysandre Labs can offer. We need to exchange numbers too. This whole thing is giving me goosebumps and I don't want to deal with this alone. Anything new we find out about this, we inform each other."

Shannon agreed and we quickly got about doing what we need to do to hide this secret. Throughout it all, I cannot help but feel so small, that I'm merely a piece on the chessboard, that some divine entity up there had placed me here for a very specific purpose.

Hopefully, this will be the one and only spookiest encounter I would ever have in this life.

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**13\. ****Sandile (Rumble), Male**

**14\. ****Unknown creature, self-proclaimed Zygarde (Blob), ?**

**Asher Dandolos, Age: 19, Male, Dark Specialist, Historian, Son of Grimsley of Unova Elite Four**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Absol**

**2\. ****Bisharp**

**3\. ****Greninja**

**4\. ****Spiritomb**

**5\. ****Krookodile**

**6\. ****Scrafty**

**7\. ****Mandibuzz**

**8\. ****Liepard**

**9\. ****Cacturne**


	13. Chapter 13- Approaching Disaster

_'To the left. I said to the LEFT, you oaf! Can't you simple minded peasants follow **basic **instr- oof!'_

"You know, if you really want our help in recovering your Cells you should be a little nicer to us."

Tinen fumed angrily as she waved her bones about in Blob's direction. I admit Core isn't exactly the brightest pokemon around, but that is still no reason for Blob to shout at him like that.

_'Did you bring along the thing I had you find for me?'_

"Of course I did. What kind of person do you take me for?" I chided Blob as I took out what he called _The Mighty Overseer Cube_. I simply called it the Cube for convenience sake. As to where I had found it, it was at the Ruins of Alph, which is pretty convenient for us both since I am currently working there with a team of Johto historians to uncover the history behind those ruins. Even after so long, there is still not much progress regarding uncovering the ruin's true history. It's just that hard to understand the Ruins of Alph but that is no reason to stop trying.

To be perfectly honest, there was no way we would have found the Cube without Blob. The moment we reached the Ruins of Alph he kept pestering me to find his _Le Porion's Mighty Cube_ and so I indulged him the moment I was free. It's a small little hexagonal cube with a slight greenish glow. It's obviously _ancient _and I would have liked to study it if Blob wasn't so adamant against the idea. All he told me was that the Cube was made by humans he trusted. The cube itself is supposed to be dated at least a thousand years ago or maybe even longer than that. He really couldn't remember.

It's been a few months since we experienced the attack at Lacunosa, a few more months of spending time with this haughty and arrogant self-proclaimed Zygarde. At this point I'm still fifty-fifty about wanting to believe him about his identity because while he has told us many things that seem like it is the truth regarding Kalos' long and forgotten history, there really isn't any way to prove it. I still wrote down everything he said anyway, just for the fun of it.

Besides, can you blame me for doubting him? He doesn't act like a legendary pokemon. _At all._

_'My Cells are to the LEFT! **LEFT!** Yes, you **finally **found it. So can you now **please **bring it ove- DON'T **EAT **IT YOU DUMB LIZARD! THAT IS NOT SOMETHING TO EAT! MY BODY IS **NOT **A FRICKIN **SNACK!** SPIT IT BACK OUT YOU BARBARIAN! LE PORION WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU IF YOU EAT MY CELLS!'_

Yeah, that. I am really having a hard time trying to imagine that **_this _**is the legendary Zygarde.

We are currently at the isolated outskirts of Goldenrod where Blob had said he detected a group of his Cells are at. His Cells look a lot like him, but different in the sense that it is a lot flatter and elongated. Furthermore, they don't have the ability to communicate with others, almost like some sort of mindless organism or plant.

"Core, we've talked about this." I chided my garchomp and he immediately spat the small group of cells back out, covered in spit. Blob is understandably not amused.

_'Argh! Look at this! LOOK AT THIS! How filthy! Le Porion is **not **pleased at your behaviour, oaf! Not at all! Wash my Cells clean, NOW!'_

"Seis will take care of it." I placated the hopping mad Blob as Seis used a low powered Water Gun to wash the Cells clean of Core's spit. Once done, I placed the Cube right next to the Cells, who automatically wormed their way into the small Cube, _somehow_. The amount of Cells that we have found thus far is way more than the volume of the Cube and yet it can just keep absorbing more and more of Blob's Cells. I still don't know how this thing works at all.

Ancient technology really is something to marvel at. I cannot believe this thing is at least a thousand years old.

"So how much have we collected thus far?" I asked Blob in curiosity, who simply hopped and climbed up on me until he was standing on my shoulder.

_'Press the little indentation there. Yes, that one. Hmm, see the thing that looks like a meter gauge? Right now I say we found only about… 8% of my Cells? Once we find another additional 2% and accumulate a total of 10% this mighty lord can finally show you one of my forms. Then you will know that this dutiful Overseer wasn't lying about his identity. This mighty lord **is** a legendary pokemon.'_

"Looking forward to it." I said with a cheeky grin. "But even then, you will still be Blob. Once a blob, always a blob."

_'Wait, what? Ye lord didn't ask for such a stupid sounding title! Remove it at once! I order thee- ow! STOP HITTING ME WITH YOUR DAMN BONES YOU DERANGED MAROWAK! WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?!'_

Berg rolled his eyes and with an audible puff of air from his nostrils, blew Blob a few feet away and let him tumble until he came to a rest by the bottom of a tree.

"Legendary pokemon or not, it pays to be nice to others." I told Blob as I picked him up and slid him back into his usual spot in the pocket of my coat. "A simple thank you can go a long way, you know?"

_'Hmph. Me, thanking others? Why, back in my heydays people put me on an altar to worship me! Statues of my image were built for all to see my glory! Everything I needed, all I needed to do was to give a command and it will appear!'_

"Huh, I am starting to see where this attitude of yours came from. So you are just a spoiled brat, aren't you?"

_'YE GLORIOUS LORD IS **NOT **A SPOILED BRAT!'_

Since there are no more Cells to collect in this area according to Blob, we leisurely strolled along the outskirts of Goldenrod with my team walking around me lazily. It's my off day today. Nowadays, most of my off days are spent helping Blob to collect his Cells. He will point us in the direction that we need to go and we will find it for him. We can also use this time to tour a little of the Johto region and explore to our heart's contents, so I don't mind helping Blob that much. Now, if only his attitude gets a little better, it will be perfect.

A beep from my holo caster caught my attention and I checked to see who had sent me a message. I smiled when I received a message from Shannon.

By some sort of weird coincidence, Shannon is here in Johto as well. Her work had caught the eye of Professor Elm and he had offered her a position in his lab where she will be able to learn under him. Shannon had agreed and so she is now here in Johto working under Professor Elm. She is mostly stationed at New Bark Town but she does go around the region helping Professor Elm to collect data from time to time.

Shannon and I had soon become fast friends due to our shared secret status as reincarnated souls. As of now, we didn't have any luck or progress in finding any of the five other people who we suspect had come to this world like we did. In any case, it doesn't really matter. At least we both became good friends.

"Shannon's coming over to Goldenrod, I will be meeting her. You want to show yourself to her?"

_'Leave me out of this, human. Le Porion will only grace others with my presence when I deem it necessary.'_

Right, Blob and his God complex. Why did I even bother to ask?

* * *

Shannon and I met up in a small quaint cafe in Goldenrod. It's a pretty relaxed meet up since all we are doing is to tell each other what had been going on in our lives ever since we last met. We still didn't make any headway when it comes to finding the other five people who we suspect are like us, but that's fine. We are not exactly in a rush in digging out about the truth of our existence.

Ever since Shannon and I became good friends, I soon learnt that she is not only a genius, she is also a klutz, nervous wreck, timid person, airhead, trouble prone magnet all in one. With that comes a series of hilarious stories when it comes to her experiences in researching pokemon.

"- and then the girafarigs were like looking at me funny and then suddenly swarming me from out of nowhere to try and cuddle with me or something and then I had to avoid their snapping tails- oh. I just went on with another of my ramblings, did I?"

"It's fine. Your stories were pretty interesting anyway. There's nothing much going on at the Ruins of Alph so hearing your adventures is a refreshing change." I replied with a laugh. Girafarigs trying to cuddle you with their snapping tails? Yeah, I totally would _not _want to be in her shoes.

"Those are not _adventures!_ They are _horror stories!_" Shannon wailed comically with her arms flailing about. She looks about ready to tear her hair out at this point.

Should I give her a little push? I'm not sure if I like the smirk that is on my face right now. What if I overdo it and cause Shannon to overreact? Then again, Shannon's reactions are always so fun to watch. What to do… What to do… Fufufu…

I put down the cup of tea that I had been drinking from for dramatic effect.

"If you really want horror stories I do have a few that I personally experienced due to my line of work."

"Do I want to know about them?" Shannon asked cautiously, her body already curled up a little defensively.

"There's this one time when I only just started out. We found a hidden ruin in which the archeological team suspected is a tomb for-"

"I'm not hearing anything I cannot hear anything nah nah nah nah nah~" Shannon interrupted me immediately with her hands over her ears, eyes closed and shaking her head to try and not listen to a word that I am talking about. Being the evil person that I am, I laughed at her response.

"Alright, alright, no horror stories." I placated Shannon before she got genuinely terrified. I was about to continue the conversation when my holo caster beeped right at that moment. Siebold had sent me a _text _message.

Something very wrong indeed.

"A _text _message from Siebold? He usually just uses the call function of the holo caster."

"Is anything the matter?" Shannon asked before her eyes went wide in realisation. "And Siebold? As in, the _Kalos Elite Four _Siebold?!"

"Yeah, that one. That dramatic man-child." I said with a roll of my eyes. "Sometimes I have problems believing that I lost to him during my conference."

"But he's an_ Elite Four!_ It's not everyday you get to battle someone like him!"

I snorted.

"Behind closed doors he's just an overgrown baby." I gave a quick summary on how Siebold is as a person before holding my holo caster close to my mouth to reply to Siebold's text message via a voice message. "I'm with a friend at Goldenrod, 3rd avenue, Liz's cafe."

"Wait, Siebold's _coming over?! **He's in Johto?!**_"

"He's here due to work and to represent the Kalos League in a PWL meeting. Said he's bringing along a guest as well. As to who, I have no clue." I answered with a shrug of my shoulders. "Whatever. It's probably another fellow chef that he met here in Johto. Hopefully his friend's artistic sense isn't as bad as him."

My holo caster beeped again. It's another text message from Siebold, saying that he will be here soon. I was about to send a reply back when a honchkrow flew down and perched itself on the edge of our table.

My first reaction was _'Wow, a **honchkrow**'_. They are not exactly common because a dusk stone is needed to evolve a murkrow into one. Wild murkrows need to be very lucky in order to find one of such rare stones to trigger that stage of evolution.

My second reaction was that this honchkrow has to belong to a trainer due to the first reason as stated above. Granted, Shannon and I are seated outdoors so having wild pokemon that wandered over to our table while strolling through the streets of Goldenrod is not an impossibility _but_, a **_honchkrow_**.

My third reaction was that my guess had to be right when I finally spotted the small piece of paper it was holding in its beak and gesturing for Shannon to take it. Shannon and I shared a hesitant look before she took the piece of paper. After reading what was on it, she stared at it for a while in an obviously befuddled manner before showing it to me.

_'Follow honchkrow. Meet me in the opposite building, fifteenth floor. I have something of grave importance to tell you. Bring your friend along. Don't worry about Siebold, I will inform him of the change. -Grimsley.'_

Naturally, I panicked a little. A member of Unova's_ Elite Four_ suddenly requesting an audience with us out of the blue? I know that Shannon and Grimsley knew each other, so him finding her is not something to be surprised about, but why would he want to even meet _me_?

I was about to ask more questions but I held myself back when I spotted the honchkrow still perching itself on the edge of our table. Honchkrow may not be able to speak the human language but it is by no means stupid. It's best to not do anything to give away our secret status.

So, I kept quiet and sighed. First Siebold and now Grimsley. Something is definitely going on.

"Let's just go." I said after much contemplation on my part. "Two different members of the Elite Four trying to find us at the same time couldn't be a coincidence. Let's just get this over and done with."

Honchkrow took the cue and started to lead the way by walking in front of us instead of flying. I sent a text message to Siebold to inform him of this sudden development. If he acknowledges it, then it means the message honchkrow passed along is true. If not…

I don't want to think about the _'if not'_.

We soon arrived at the stated building. It's pretty much an unremarkable hotel. Honchkrow continued to lead the way once we were at the fifteenth floor and stopped in front of the door of a certain room, gesturing for us to knock on it.

"Hello, Shannon." Grimsley greeted us when he opened the door, much to my inner relief. "And you too, Ms Labelle."

"Call me Nova." I returned the greeting as I shook hands with the famed Dark Specialist of Unova. "I have to admit that this sudden meeting caught me by surprise."

"Understandable, and please just call me Grimsley." Grimsley replied with a nod of his head. "Siebold will be arriving with a guest soon, so make yourselves comfortable in the meantime."

"Uh, not that I'm unhappy to see you, Grimsley, but what is this meeting all about?"

Grimsley's answer to Shannon's question was a tired sigh.

"Something of grave importance." Grimsley's answer was short and succinct. "All I can say for now is that whether or not the both of you decide to help out after hearing what we have to say, you both have to be sworn into secrecy. If you cannot do that then I suggest that you might want to leave before Siebold and our guest arrive."

"Who is this guest that you are talking about? Some VIP?" I probed further. Whatever issue we are about to get ourselves involved in, I have a feeling that it is going to be something big. Like, national secret level kind of big. I mean, two _Elite Four_ members from two different regions are seeking us out at the same time. This issue _has _to be big.

"Not exactly, but he's well known in certain circles that the ordinary Joe would not usually be involved in." Grimsley gave us a vague answer as his honchkrow made itself comfortable on an unoccupied bed and began to preen. Not a very helpful answer if I do say so myself.

Another knock on the door caught our attention and Grimsley went to open it. Two other people entered the room. I heaved a mental sigh of relief when I spotted a familiar face.

"Nova! We meet again! Miss me?"

"Not exactly." I replied out of habit. Despite what I just said and as much as this man-child annoys me to no end, his presence is always a reassuring one.

"N-Nova!"

I sighed. Siebold is a really good friend and I appreciate his efforts in trying to lift my mood up, but this situation is definitely not normal. The more I am kept in the dark the more high strung I am becoming. Right now, I just want to get this issue out of the way, whatever it may be.

"Look, while I'm happy to see you, Siebold, this meeting is really starting to give me the creeps. Can we just get this out of the way first?"

"Very well." The third person within Siebold's group, an unknown man, spoke up, catching Shannon's and my attention. "Shannon Juniper, Nova Labelle, I am Looker, an agent working for the Pokemon World League, and I have a proposal to make."

Agent? Pokemon World League?

Oh holy moly flying pancakes. What did I just get myself into?

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**13\. ****Sandile (Rumble), Male**

**14\. ****Unknown creature, self-proclaimed Zygarde (Blob), ?**


	14. Chapter 14- A Step Forward

What Looker dropped on Shannon and I is something that is definitely going to change the course of history of the world.

From what Looker told us, the PWL had very recently set up a new organisation called the International Police. The interpol's duty is to solve any huge pokemon-related problems in the world. It is a group that will only consist of the best experts in their respective fields in anything related to pokemon. It will be an elite task force that will consist of only the best of the best.

The fact that Looker had extended an invitation to Shannon and I meant that to the PWL, our skills and works had been recognised, which is a great honour. However, the real reason why Looker wanted to invite us into the interpol had us concerned.

It was then Siebold and Grimsley also helped explain what the world's current state really is. Beneath the fragile peaceful facade is in actuality a simmering pot of tension that is about to reach its boiling point and explode in everyone's faces.

As it turns out, there is a highly guarded secret of the PWL that was the real reason why no wars broke out across the member regions for more than 500 years since the PWL's founding. On second thought, it should have been obvious in hindsight that there _has _to be something fishy happening behind the scenes because it is _impossible _for no wars to have occurred for more than 500 years. After all, human nature can be a very ugly thing and there are no limits to our greed. The Kalos War is a very good reflection of human nature. For peace to have been maintained for more than 500 years, something drastic must have been done to keep it that way.

The revelation made known to us was that over the centuries, the PWL constantly trains and uses a team of highly trained seer type psychic pokemon to help them foresee the future. There are many types of psychic pokemon in this world and each species are naturally more inclined in certain aspects of their psychic powers. Species like gardevoir and espeon are what people refer to as empaths due to their ability to sense and feel the emotions of others. There are also the rarer types of psychics like metagross and alakazam who are naturally talented in doing complex calculations. Then there are the seer types like xatu who are good at peering into the future and foretelling prophecies. Ancient civilisations around the world had all revered seer type psychics as some sort of prophets at one point in time due to how accurate their foretelling abilities can be if they are trained to use their powers well. People are not as superstitious in modern times, but that is no reason to brush off the foretelling ability of seer type psychics if they are indeed accurate in their prophecies.

The team of PWL's seer type psychics has only one job, and that is to foresee any future threats that might prove to threaten the world's order and safety. Once a prophecy has been made, it will be analysed and then a team of PWL agents will be sent out to avert it, to nip it in the bud before the outcome of the prophecy can be realised. Many times, the region in which the prophecy had foretold will take place will also work with the PWL and send in the best agents they have to neutralise the possible threat. This is how the peace across the world was really maintained for the past five centuries.

Psychics can never claim to see every single thing or foretell every single outcome. There will always be things that they can never foretell, like the Lilycove Invasion, the attack on Lacunosa, and the attack on Johto National Park, for instance. Even then, for every single thing that the PWL's team of psychics had foretold thus far, they have a 100% accuracy track record to date, which is actually very impressive. Everything and anything that the team of PWL psychics had foretold had always been proven that it would come true. As a result, every warning they gave us had always been taken very seriously by not only the PWL, but also every single region in the world that we know.

Therein lies the problem. A new prophecy has been made some time back. This time, the PWL's psychics had foretold the end of the world.

Naturally, this got every world leader alarmed. To make things worse, the psychics could not see any further than that no matter how they tried. Be it in the cause, the perpetrators, the future, the location, anything. No psychic could see further than what we already know about the prophecy and they never managed to find out any more details regarding it. There's nothing the PWL and the seven member regions could do in an attempt to find a way to stop the prophecy from fulfilling itself.

Until now.

Finding a way in stopping this new prophecy is the true reason behind the setting up of the interpol. The fragile truce initially set up between the seven regions more than 500 years ago existed more for the sake of formality than being of any real use. This time, for the first time in history, every member region had decided to really work together in a desperate and last ditch attempt to protect the world we live in. They had pooled their resources together to set up an elite task force that will be capable enough to handle any task, big or small, in matters related to pokemon. From beating up the bad guys like Team Plasma to finding ways to better allow humans and pokemon to live alongside each other to stopping even legendary pokemon themselves if need be. As long as the problem is related to pokemon, the task force must be capable of stopping it. That task force is the interpol. Agent Looker is the appointed director of the interpol and he is here to recruit us.

I can understand if Looker wants to recruit Shannon because as airheaded as she is in her daily life, there is no hiding how brilliant she is in the field of pokemon research. It's like she could learn and understand any single thing that she wanted to study if she puts her mind into it. Her studies on Unova's pokemon migratory pattern and unravelling the secrets behind the evolutionary stones are more than enough to qualify her to be a part of the interpol. Her contributions to discovering the secret behind evolutionary stones is something that many renowned scholars had failed to uncover throughout the centuries, and she only took less than a month to crack it. That's how smart she really is.

As for me, what Looker values is my skill to uncover the truth. According to Siebold, what I had pieced out in my quest to uncover the true history of the Kalos War and subsequently deduced the location of the Ultimate Weapon had greatly contributed to learning more about certain confidential secrets that the Kalos League had known but never managed to verify. That is something that even I never knew until now, because _confidentiality_.

In short, what I was told by Siebold was that my findings were what helped the Kalos League finally locate the exact location where Yveltal and Xerneas are slumbering in Kalos, something which they never managed to find out ever since the founding of the Kalos League. It shocked me too, that **_I_** was the reason _why _that happened. My ability to find the truth behind ancient myths and legends is what Looker deems as invaluable to the interpol's cause because there is a high chance that the various region's legendaries and mythicals that reside in their lands might be involved in the prophecy that foretold the end of the world. Legendary pokemon do have enough power in their hands to easily do such a thing. We all know that Groudon had helped shape the continents and Kyogre expanded the sea. Regigigas had been said to shift the lands groudon had created and rearranged the continents into what we know today. Anything related to this category of pokemon that the world does not yet know, it will be my job to help them find out should I join the interpol. This is so that if the prophecy does involve legendary pokemon somehow, we will have some sort of clue to help prevent them from destroying our beautiful world.

Joining an international and elite group such as the interpol sounds exciting and a dream come true if I have to be honest with myself, because not only I now have authority and clearance to freely study the myths and legends behind my region's legendaries and mythicals, I can also now study this same category of pokemon belonging to _other regions_, something that is in any other normal circumstances, impossible for me to do because I am not allowed to do so as a foreigner. National secrets and all that.

Not only that, this is a good chance to explore and see things that I will usually not have the chance to see. With this, Shannon and I might also just be able to use the PWL's resources to help us find the other five people that we suspect are like us. If they do have an unnatural affinity for certain types of pokemon, surely that abnormality will be recorded in the PWL's database? If we have such an advantage on our side, finding the additional five people will not be as impossible as it seems. Not anymore.

The only downsides of joining the interpol are that I will have to devote a lot of my time for the interpol's cause, which will take up a few years at the very least. I will probably not be home a lot due to the nature of this job which means I probably won't be seeing my uncle all that much, but we are used to not seeing each other for months on end due to our individual work. Being a part of the interpol means facing certain risks given the kind of things we will be tackling, but I can hold my own in battles as long as they are not Gym Leaders or Elite Four level kind of strong.

Given that the pros of this job far outweighs the cons, it's not hard to come to a decision.

I'm joining.

I told Shannon my decision and the reasons for it while we were discussing if we want to take up on Looker's offer. She took some time to think about my rationale but what finally gave her the push was my reasoning on how we could use the PWL's resources not only for our own individual interests, but also to find the other five people as described in the stone tablet. I also _finally _managed to convince Blob to let Shannon in on his existence after much praising of his greatness and countless belly rubs on our part.

Blob claims that he is the legendary Zygarde but to me, it doesn't matter what kind of pokemon Blob is. It is a fact that he can do many things that the ordinary pokemon cannot do and he is also a good friend despite his usual arrogant and bratty behaviour. On Blob's end, he claimed that this is also the first time he had heard of such a prophecy and he is also legitimately concerned for whatever reasons, which might be his motivation to finally decide to reveal himself to Shannon.

And so, it's decided.

Shannon and I will join the interpol and (hopefully) help save the world.

* * *

_"I see. As long as you are sure about it, then go ahead."_

"I won't be home as often because of this. Remember to take care of yourself, okay? You always have the bad habit of overworking yourself." I reminded my workaholic uncle because after today, I probably would not have much time on my hands to call him as frequently.

_"I don't want to hear that from you."_

"Guess it runs in the family."

_"Maybe." _My uncle snorted as a holographic image of him sitting on the couch while lazily swirling the wine in his wine glass with a hand lit up in front of me through my holo caster._ "If the interpol work gets too much for you to handle, just come home. Don't worry about the repercussions, I can handle it."_

I cannot help but smile. My uncle really goes over the top when it comes to pampering me.

"I think I am up for the task, Siebold and the Kalos League would not have recommended me to Looker otherwise. But did my findings really help pinpoint where Yveltal and Xerneas are sleeping?"

_"Yes, it did. Indirectly."_ My uncle nodded before giving me a big smile. _"You have no idea how proud I am when I heard that piece of news. You just did what so many people had not accomplished for centuries. Good job, Nova."_

"Couldn't have done it without your prompting and a whole lot of external help. Malva, Professor Sycamore, and Gurkinn, remember?"

_"Don't sell yourself short. It's good to be humble, but it's also equally important to know when to accept praise as it is."_ My uncle said and took another sip from his wine glass before continuing. _"I will keep an eye out for the interpol as well. Just promise me that you will try your best to keep yourself safe. If it gets too much for you to handle out there, just come straight home. I will set everything straight for you."_

"I will try my best to stay safe." I promised. "Thanks, uncle, for supporting me."

_"It's what uncles are for."_ My uncle replied with a roll of his eyes. _"Do you have enough cash on you?"_

"Uncle. I'm a _working _adult." I deadpanned. There he goes again. How many zeroes will he be trying to shove into my bank account this time?

"I can earn my own keep and besides, I earn quite a fair bit as a historian. The pay Looker promised me for becoming an interpol agent is very lucrative too. Keep the money for yourself, or donate it to those who need it. Use it to make the world beautiful or something."

_"You can never have too much money." _My uncle shrugged. _"If you ever need more cash or anything else just give me a call. I will reply as soon as I can."_

"Got it. Take care of yourself, okay?" I reminded my uncle again because I know the moment the sun rises the next day, my workaholic uncle would definitely forget every single reminder that I am telling him right now. "Make sure you eat your meals regularly or your gastric problem will come back again. Remember to bring your medicine with you too. Set a reminder in your holo caster if you need it."

_"I can take care of myself."_

"Could have fooled me with how often I have to remind you to eat."

_"Respect your elders, you spoiled brat."_

"You spoiled me."

_"Guess I did."_ My uncle said in a dry tone. _"Just be careful out there. Indigo is not exactly known for being a safe region to travel in. It's a lot better in Johto but it's not the same for Kanto. If you ever go to Kanto make sure you always have one of your pokemon or two around you at all times."_

"It's that bad?"

_"Last I heard, yes." _My uncle affirmed with a nod._ "There's a distinct rich-poor divide between Johto and Kanto. It's getting a little better, but the difference is still there. If you dig a little more into their history, it's not hard to see why. Johto naturally has more favourable conditions which resulted in a much more rapid development and modernisation of their cities. Kanto is not as blessed. Like Kalos, Kanto faces the same constraint of limited resources but the problem in Kanto is a lot more worse because the only thing they have are mountains and stones. At least in Kalos, we have many other types of resources other than those to help develop our region, limited as they are. Kanto? Not that much. This is why poverty is a lot more prevalent in Kanto. Help is always given a little too slowly and the people there are often a lot more desperate."_

Huh, interesting.

"How's it going with the Infinity Energy?" I asked curiously. "Or am I still not allowed to know about it?"

_"I will check with Diantha again on whether you are given clearance to know about it, considering your new status as interpol agent and all that." _My uncle replied after some thought._ "But all I can say is that we had several breakthroughs after studying the Ultimate Weapon you helped us locate. The breakthroughs we made are nothing too big, but are still breakthroughs nonetheless. If all goes well the company might engage in a joint venture with Devon Corps regarding the commercialisation of the Infinity Energy, with approval from the PWL, of course. At this rate, we might really be able to not only meet Kalos' energy needs, but also the world. We will then be one step closer to preserving the beauty of our wonderful world."_

"Looking forward to that." I said with a big grin. "And then I can proudly tell the world just how noble and great a man my uncle is. Lysandre Labelle, the man who revolutionised and helped create a beautiful world!"

_"Don't be dramatic."_

"It's what nieces are for!"

_"First time hearing that."_

"Well, now you know. It's my job as your niece to spread your greatness far and wide across all corners of the world!"

_"I'd rather not have that happen thank you very much."_

"Too bad, you don't have a say in this matter. I'm still going to do it regardless and nobody can stop me from spreading the gospel about you, the world's lord and saviour! Lysandre Labelle!"

_"Spoiled brat."_

"You spoiled me."

_"I'm disowning you."_

"We've been through this many times, uncle, you love me too much for that."

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**13\. ****Sandile (Rumble), Male**

**14\. ****Unknown creature, self-proclaimed Zygarde (Blob), ?**


	15. Chapter 15- Unexpected Find

Looker told us of the interpol's very first task the moment I confirmed my acceptance of his offer. As it turns out, we will be assisting Indigo to take down _Team Rocket_.

I couldn't believe my ears either when I first heard of it.

Unlike what was portrayed in the games or anime, Team Rocket is a very scary existence in this world. They are the most dangerous criminal organisation you could find in this world and they are so huge that they spanned across two regions and ruled over both regions' underworld. Looker had allowed me access to confidential information that showed me just how daunting our first task is, like how Team Rocket now has _Mewtwo _under their control and how _Giovanni _is the leader of Team Rocket. A _legendary pokemon_ and a_ Gym Leader._ Those two alone made a very scary combination. And now you add the full might of the biggest and most powerful criminal organisation onto it?

This is going to be tough even for Indigo, and that is understating it.

From what I was let known, before Team Rocket became Team Rocket they were an underground organisation called SKIP. SKIP was founded more than twenty years ago, at a time where tensions between Kanto and Johto were at an all time high and where corruption had seeped very deep into the Indigo Government, many of the corrupt politicians being Johtonians. The founders of SKIP genuinely believed that Kanto would do better on her own at that point in time instead of being affected by the corrupted dealings of Johtonian politicians, and hence decided to work towards separating Kanto from Indigo. They named their organisation as an acronym of their beliefs, Separation of Kanto from Indigo through Peace. SKIP had experts from many fields and industries working for them. As long as they are a Kantonian and are sincere for a peaceful separation, they will be welcomed with opened arms. Even notable figures like Professor Samuel Oak, Agatha, Blaine, Fuji, and Bill were a part of SKIP.

And Giovanni too.

However, SKIP's work is directly working against Indigo's own interests, which means that in the eyes of Indigo, their existence cannot be tolerated. The moment SKIP's existence was found out, the Indigo President, Kain Briggs, ordered their extermination. In a single night, the entire organisation was exterminated with only a few people escaping with their lives intact and their involvement with SKIP a secret. SKIP was officially disbanded after that day.

Or at least that was what everyone believed.

From what we now know, Giovanni had salvaged what he could from SKIP's leftover works and rebuilt it into the Team Rocket the world now knows. Giovanni is still aiming for Kanto's separation from Indigo but this time, he plans to achieve it in a more violent manner. That was how the entire Rocket situation came about and why there is suddenly a war being secretly declared on Johto by Team Rocket.

Problem is, Indigo doesn't have a choice but to confront Team Rocket head-on. An informant had leaked to Lance, and subsequently to the Indigo League, that Team Rocket will be planning one of the biggest attacks to ever be conducted on Indigo, starting from the Indigo Plateau on National Day, which is only slightly more than two weeks from now. From there, they will immediately start a war campaign to conquer Johto in an entire day and overthrow Indigo. This is a very summarised version of the problem at hand. The whole affair is a lot more complex than that.

To make things more complicated nobody has any idea who this informant is, although from how accurate and truthful the information he or she had leaked to Lance so far, it's safe to say that what the informant is warning us about Team Rocket is true. Additionally, Indigo's President cannot be trusted as well because the informant not only released a hella lot of information about Team Rocket, but also revealed a lot of dirt about Kain to the extent that it convinced everyone who had read through it that it is best if President Briggs is not involved in the upcoming operation. The Indigo Government has also been revealed to have no small amount of corrupt politicians in it and a considerable number of them are confirmed by the informant to be working for Team Rocket. As such, the Indigo League cannot rely on the Indigo Government in this upcoming war, they are largely on their own.

Not all is lost though. For one, the PWL is assisting Indigo's efforts through the interpol. Secondly, the other regions had pledged their help to Lance and to the Indigo League in the form of getting several of their region's Pillars who were already here in Indigo for a PWL meeting beforehand to stay and help. Siebold is one of them. Naturally, all of this is hush-hush because of the need for secrecy. We don't want Team Rocket to realise that we are already onto their plans and we don't want President Briggs and by extension, the corrupt Indigo Government, to interfere with whatever we are doing to help save Indigo.

This brings me back to my current situation. The interpol needs to find a way to help Indigo and prevent Team Rocket from dealing a crippling blow on the nation. Team Rocket's grasp over Indigo is so solid and deep that it is no laughing matter. I'm not even sure if we could win this fight, but I do know that I'll be glad if we can all come out alive. That's how low my expectations are in regards to what we will be up against.

My expertise lies in uncovering the truth. Things like formulating a plan to destroy terrorist groups like Team Rocket is definitely out of my comfort zone. In this entire stop-Team-Rocket-from-taking-over-Indigo operation, I have no idea how I am able to help out.

And yet, I'm still here anyway.

I will skip past the boring process of how I met the other members of the interpol. What I do know is that currently, including me and Shannon, there are seven members in total who are part of the interpol. Three of them are only temporarily a part of the interpol just to help out in this current crisis. They will take their leave when we are done with the Rocket problem.

The director of the interpol is Looker, an agent of the PWL. Seeing as how the PWL appointed him as the director of such an important group, he must be very trusted by them and also probably very capable in what he does. Other than that, I have nothing else go on about him. I have no idea on how he is as a person, what his capabilities are, etcetera.

Then there is a little girl only thirteen years of age, Velda Vera, who is from Hoenn and the heiress of the famous Vera Farm, a farm which specialises in pokemon breeding and the largest one you could ever find in Hoenn. Her family is an ancient family and have been pokemon breeders for generations, even way before Hoenn was founded. Due to how important her family's work is in Hoenn and how ancient the lineage of the Vera family, her family is sometimes seen as royalty in her region. In other words, she is the equivalent of a princess. How and why she ended up becoming a member of something as dangerous as the interpol is something that I haven't figured out yet.

Then there is the couple from Alola, Akamu Kahale and Marianne Kahale, who are only helping the interpol out temporarily. From what I can tell the both of them used to work under Looker a long time ago until their resignation, which means that they both used to be PWL agents. Although as to why they treated Looker with some sense of hostility and distrust, I have no clue, but something probably happened between them a long time ago. In any case, Looker somehow managed to get them to agree to help him and the interpol in this Rocket crisis. As for anything else that might have happened between the three of them, I'm not privy to the details.

Akamu is a combat agent and a Fairy Specialist, but Looker had told me that his expertise lies in supporting his comrades on the battlefield by ensuring that they stay alive no matter how dangerous things will be. I haven't seen Akamu in action yet but going by Looker's words, he is probably very skilled. Marianne, who is also more commonly referred to as "Mary", is an inventor of unparalleled intellect. She is the one who actually perfected Foldable Space Technology for commercial use, allowing greater ease and freedom for trainers and civilians alike on their travels. Having her around is definitely good for the interpol.

Last but not least, the final and most powerful member of our temporary group and someone who Shannon and I have been trying to find to no avail, until now.

Volkner Tide, the previous and 42nd Gym Leader of Sunyshore. The nemesis of Sinnoh's underworld and Team Galactic. The holder of the title of the Strongest Gym Leader of Sinnoh and also Sinnoh's strongest Electric Specialist until his resignation. He is an expert when it comes to crime management and crime busting. Finding him to help out in Indigo's current crisis is definitely a wise move on Indigo's part, but that is not what Shannon and I are concerned with right now.

What we are concerned with is if he is like us as we had suspected, that he is also a reincarnated soul and the holder of the title of _Leader, Incarnate of Lightning_ as etched in that mysterious stone tablet. He is the best fit that we know and can think of.

The location of the interpol's very first meeting, surprisingly enough, is at Volkner's home. It seems that he had moved to Olivine after his resignation because his wife is a Johtonian. Not only that, his wife is _Olivine's Gym Leader_, Jasmine_._ How he managed to marry such a person as his wife without suffering any sort of known political repercussions from Indigo and Sinnoh is beyond me, but I have no right to go poking around for answers because this is their privacy.

Volkner's home is located at the west side of Olivine City in a place known to the locals as the West Forest. After his retirement, Volkner had built himself an entire forest for him and his wife to live within, out of sight and hidden from the public's eye. According to Looker, very few knew that the West Forest belongs to him and Jasmine and even fewer knew that Jasmine had married Volkner. I'm guessing that such secrecy is warranted due to their sensitive statuses as Gym Leaders from two different regions. They probably don't want to deal with any forms of public comments or opinions on their marriage and neither does Indigo and Sinnoh.

Looking at this, I guess being a Gym Leader isn't as cracked up as people made it to be.

Unfortunately, there isn't a chance during the interpol meeting where Shannon or I can speak to Volkner in private. Shannon had to take her leave halfway together with Mary because they are part of the tech team that will be responsible for finding a way to release Mewtwo from the contraption that Team Rocket uses to control it, the M2 Bind. I don't know if releasing Mewtwo from its restraints is a good idea due to my foreknowledge about that particular pokemon, but at least it's better than having it under Team Rocket's total control.

The meeting between the remaining five of us continued with Volkner leading the bulk of the discussion of the meeting. Surprisingly, he didn't dive into the Rocket problem immediately, but rather took time to analyse the informant's motives and discussed his findings with us, because there are things that he felt that didn't add up when it comes to how the entire situation developed into what it is right now. The discussion took a little long, but there are three main points that Volkner brought up that he found suspicious.

First of all, the fact that among the extremely huge size of information leaked to Lance, more than half of those are dirt on Kain. Kain is the Indigo President, it's not easy to get so much information on him, much less the highly confidential ones that had been leaked to Lance. That in itself is suspicious. Furthermore, if the leak of information was to warn Lance about Team Rocket's plan to conquer and overthrow Indigo, why is it that most of the information is about Kain instead of Team Rocket? Better still, why tattle on Kain in the first place? Having dirt on Kain to prove to us that he cannot be trusted is fine, but having so much dirt is not going to help us deal with Team Rocket. So, why go through so much trouble?

Secondly, the way the information was leaked to Lance is definitely fishy. Lance only knew about the leaks because hard drives kept appearing on his office desk day after day for nearly an entire week and no matter what he did, he just couldn't catch the informant in the act. Lance is the _Indigo Champion_, the strongest trainer in the nation. How did the informant evade detection right in the heart and brain of the Indigo League right in their HQ itself? How did the informant keep giving _Lance _the slip? Not just once, not just twice, but many times. That is another suspicious point.

Thirdly, after Volkner had somehow done his own illegal digging into the Indigo Government's database_ (I really do not want to talk about the legality and possible repercussions of this issue and I do not want to know the details)_, he found that the informant actually dug up everything there is to be dug up in the database except for one highly confidential file. That file is a file that documents a top secret project, Project Illusion.

Looking through the file on Project Illusion is when I realised how twisted this world can be beneath its beautiful facade.

Project Illusion, in short, is Kain's own military project to amass his own personal army of operatives and is definitely illegal. Most of his operatives ended up as spies as far as we can tell from the file. How these operatives are gathered is through abduction. All of these operatives were kidnapped at a very young age and had no recollection of their past. After that, these operatives are brainwashed through the pokemon move, Hypnosis, to instill absolute loyalty to Kain and only him. Needless to say, this is not a Government or League sanctioned project and it is definitely illegal for Indigo's President to have his own personal army. Just the abduction part alone is both immoral and illegal. In total, the file states that 359 children had been abducted and brainwashed to be Kain's loyal operatives since the start of the project about two decades ago. As of the time this file was dug out in secret by Volkner, the file also states that 358 operatives had already died in the line of duty, which means only one is left.

And the information that we need to find out just who that one sole survivor is had been deliberately wiped, and Volkner managed to find out that the timing when the wipe happened was just shortly before he went through his illegal escapade and snuck into the Government's database. We had all the profiles and identities of the deceased operatives of Project Illusion, all 358 marked as deceased on their respective profiles. We had knowledge of the identities of all 358 of them except for the sole survivor, who we narrowed down to be Operative 2046, the only missing profile from the file. That is the last suspicious point.

If Lance's informant had the ability to access all of Kain's secrets that one could possibly find, why is it that the informant doesn't want anybody to know about Project Illusion and Operative 2046? Why delete the profile of the only operative of Project Illusion that is currently still alive? Is there a bigger factor at play behind why the informant chose not to leak to Lance the existence of such a project?

Volkner speculated that the informant that is helping Lance and Indigo behind the scenes has to be Operative 2046. It would provide a reasonable explanation to the three suspicious points he listed out. If that operative is working for Kain all along, he would definitely have a chance to access all of his dirty secrets. Infiltrating the Indigo HQ would definitely be easier for him. If Volkner's speculation is true, the only thing that we cannot explain would be why Operative 2046 would choose to wipe out the only traces of his existence in the Indigo Government's database. It may be for personal reasons, as unlikely as it sounds because all operatives of Project Illusion are supposedly brainwashed to be absolutely loyal to Kain through Hypnosis, but in any case, this is where we reached a dead end regarding Lance's informant.

Our meeting came to a temporary pause from here because it is lunch time and Volkner had suggested that we use his kitchen to cook our own lunch, which also doubles as an ice breaking session for everyone to get to know everyone else better. Looker has disappeared because he needs to report back to the PWL through another web conference, so he's not with us. The tech team is still hard at work in Volkner's garage, so it is up to the four of us to prepare a meal for everyone. I had wanted to use this chance to talk to Volkner in private, but he had disappeared with Velda in order to get some of the extra ingredients we needed even before I could do so, so it's just Akamu and I in the kitchen helping to prepare whatever we need to prepare.

Oh well, there's always another time to ask Volkner if he knows what America is.

"So, how's Kalos like?"

Akamu's big muscled build and stern looking face made a very scary sight. I had seen him accidentally crack Volkner's table with a smash of his fist when he got enraged reading about Project Illusion earlier and truthfully, I was intimidated. However, the moment we tried to start a conversation to know each other better I found that he is actually a gentle giant.

"It's beautiful." I said with a small smile as I went about preparing and searching for what I need to cook. We had decided that we should each cook a unique delicacy from our own respective regions, which is fine by me. I plan to cook a huge pot of Soupe à L'oignon, which is actually onion soup, but also a very unique and famous dish in Kalos. It sounds simple from the name alone, but cooking a Kalos style onion soup that is worthy of the name Soupe à L'oignon is no easy feat. Even with Siebold teaching me I messed it up at least ten times before I could cook a decent pot of it that is good enough to be served to others.

Everytime I cook, it makes me appreciate Siebold's culinary skills and efforts all the more.

"Huh, no onions?"

"Volkner and Velda went to get some. I heard Volkner saying that he grew some of his own food within this forest, including things like onion, garlic, and ginger." Akamu added helpfully as he continued to knead a big ball of dough.

"I will have to wait for their return before I could really start on anything then." I mused before walking closer to Akamu to see what he was doing.

"I'm planning to cook Saimin." Akamu answered the unsaid question. "Think about it as Johto's ramen, Alola style. Mary loves to eat the Saimin I cook for her, so..."

"I get it, I get it." I said with a laugh. "You are planning to make your own noodles then? Why not just use the premade ones?"

"It would taste better if I made the noodles myself." Akamu answered with a shrug. "If you truly want to savour the Alola taste, you need to have an Alolan to do it. Honestly speaking, my skills in the kitchen aren't that great. Mary is a far better cook than I do. Cooking is her hobby. If you truly want to eat the best and truest Alolan saimin, Mary's is what you should try out."

"I see. And you are right, cooking a truly good meal isn't easy. It makes me appreciate every meal even more." I took this opportunity to continue this lighthearted conversation since we are on the topic of food. "I have a friend who is a masterchef. You know Siebold?"

"The one from Kalos Elite Four?" Akamu asked with raised eyebrows.

"That one." I nodded in response. "I learnt a thing or two from him when it comes to cooking. Hopefully I won't disappoint later."

"I'm sure you won't." Akamu replied with a friendly grin. "If anything, I'm probably the worst chef out of the four of us. Most of my life is spent in battles, I never really had time to cook. Even when I was retired Mary hogged all of the cooking duties to herself because the kitchen is her own personal territory in our house. I'm not allowed to use the kitchen without her permission."

"You were a PWL agent, right?" I asked curiously. "And Fairy Specialist? Not many chose to pursue that kind of specialisation."

"I'm a Faller." Akamu said before turning to face me. "You know what the term means?"

"Uh, I've heard of it before but…" I frowned in thought as I searched through my superb memories. Nope, that is all I know about the term. "Nobody ever told me what it meant."

"Ever heard of Ultra Wormholes? The phenomenon unique to Alola?" Upon seeing the nod of my head, Akamu continued his explanation. "Fallers are people who were sucked into these wormholes and subsequently fell out of it after an undetermined period of time. When they do fall out of the wormholes, Fallers don't retain any of their memories prior to getting sucked into it. They come out as a blank slate. I do not know when I was sucked into one, but when I fell out of it I was approximately eight years of age. Not only that, because we Fallers had been inside the Ultra Wormholes, our bodies now emit a very special kind of energy that only Ultra Beasts can track. We have to constantly be on the run from these Ultra Beasts in order to stay alive."

"That's…" My mouth opened and closed without being able to form another word. That kind of life is not something anyone should go through. I had heard of Alola's Ultra Beasts. They are insanely powerful and dangerous.

How did this guy manage to survive getting hunted down by Ultra Beasts ever since he was eight till now? The fact that he is still alive is already a testament to his skills. No wonder Looker wanted him in the interpol.

"Please don't feel bad for me. I've gotten used to it a long time ago." Akamu returned a friendly smile my way to diffuse the awkwardness. "But yeah, it was largely because of my circumstances that pushed me to choose to pursue the path of becoming a Fairy Specialist. Fairies are good in supporting and recovering. Even if they cannot win their battles, they can at least ensure that they survive it. That was what I needed back then, the power to survive. Unlike how trainers fight their battles, I don't fight to win, I fight to survive. That's what sets me apart from others."

"I see." I nodded in understanding. "As you would already know, I'm a historian. I dabble in many different types of history from many different eras, but what I dabbled in most is the history of the Kalos King. It's a piece of history in my region from about 3,000 years ago."

"That long?" Akamu said with a somewhat impressed look. "It must not be easy then, uncovering the history behind the Kalos King."

"It wasn't." I replied with a laugh. "I had hit too many dead ends to count, but it was thanks to my pursuit in the truth behind this particular piece of history that I caught Looker's eye. My work seems to be highly valued by the Kalos League because it helped uncover some sort of top secret information about the region. That is all I can reveal."

"I find it to be impressive." Akamu said with an encouraging tone. "No matter what anyone says, for your work to be able to catch the eye of your regional League is something to be proud of. Are you a trainer?"

"Ground Specialist." I replied. "But I haven't been battling seriously for quite some time ever since I participated in my first conference. I had the luck to face Siebold as my last opponent in that conference. He went on to be an Elite Four shortly after that."

"Well, he's an Elite Four. There's no shame in losing to someone like him."

"You should see how he behaves behind closed doors." I deadpanned. "That is when you wonder _how _you lost to someone like him."

"At least Kalos has their own regional League, Alola has nothing. Our islands are barely united as it is." Akamu said with a sigh.

"If you don't mind me asking, why is that so?"

"Unlike the other regions, Alola's wilderness cannot be tamed." Akamu said after some thought. "The species of wild pokemon living in our lands is very diversified and varied, many of them extremely ferocious and territorial by nature. Just the dragon types alone is enough to give us a huge headache when they are out claiming their territories for themselves. Kommo-o, salamence, garchomp, noivern, drampa, and many other more. Just a single species can cause wanton destruction by themselves. And then there's Ultra Beasts, creatures that cannot be defeated single handedly unless you are someone who has strength on par with those expected from a Gym Leader. Not only that, pokeballs don't work on these guys, so you cannot catch them to contain the threat they pose to the region."

Akamu then took a brief pause before continuing to explain to me Alola's unique circumstances.

"These are only some of the dangers that are always present in Alola. Due to how dangerous it can be to commute and travel even within an island itself, Alola's transport infrastructure is severely behind. Anything we build, Ultra Beasts will tear it down soon enough. If they don't, then the other species of wild pokemon will. It's just a matter of time. And when the region's transport infrastructure is behind, it's not just that the economy will suffer too, it's hard for Alolans across all four main islands to feel that they are one and the same because we all have our own traditions unique to our island, own cities and towns, and even within our own tribe. It's very hard to feel that we are all part of the same region because of that."

Akamu continued to knead the dough as he spoke.

"This is why I was impressed when I learnt that Volkner somehow managed to unite his city and linked up all the different parts of Sunyshore together. It's no easy feat. From what I know, Sunyshore's situation was somewhat like Alola's until Volkner became its Gym Leader. If Alola had someone like Volkner to help solve our problems, maybe we would have our own regional League by now."

"Then maybe you can help Looker to convince him to join the interpol full time. You will have his eternal gratitude." I said in a wry tone, which elicited a chuckle from Akamu.

"It's not that I don't trust Looker, I don't trust the PWL. Neither does Mary. The PWL trusts Looker, a lot, and he in turn, is very loyal to the PWL. The name 'Looker' is simply his codename. Do you know that even up till now, Mary and I have no idea what Looker's true name is? That is the amount of protection the PWL gives to Looker. If the PWL gives Looker the order to harm me or Mary, he will do it regardless of personal sentiments, because that's who he is. He is that loyal to the PWL's cause and I never did manage to find out why. Word of advice when working under Looker, you can trust him, but always look out for yourself first and foremost, because Looker's priority will never be you. To him, it will always be the interest of the PWL first and everything else second."

"That bad?" I winced.

"Not really." Akamu shook his head slightly. "He's very dependable and a good teammate to have, but he's overly loyal to the PWL. Just make sure you keep that in mind while working for the interpol."

"Got it. Thanks for the information."

"You're welcomed."

"You say that the name 'Looker' is simply a codename." I tried to change the topic of discussion as a random thought popped into my mind. "Do all PWL agents get a codename of their own?"

"Most do." Akamu nodded. "If you are a combat agent, definitely so. Mine was Guardian, Mary's was Tinkerer. Most likely, Looker would ask you to get a codename of your own sooner or later before our fight with the Rockets begin. You might want to start thinking of a codename now and hope that it hasn't been used yet."

_Guardian?_

If there's one title among the seven that Shannon and I never managed to fully decipher, it would be _Guardian, Protector of Lives_. We never knew what pokemon typing 'Lives' refers to. Akamu said he is a Fairy Specialist and now that I think about it, the word 'Lives' may very well refer to fairy types. In Kalos, fairies are sometimes seen as a sign of prosperity and fertility in ancient times. There is not much that had been investigated about fairy types because as a whole, fairy types prefer to keep to themselves although they are not exactly a rare sight to behold. However, there are indeed more mentions of fairy types throughout Kalos history during prosperous times when everything is abundant, a sign of life. Legends of Xerneas also heavily suggest that the legendary pokemon of Kalos is also a fairy type, and Xerneas is indeed a giver of life.

What if the holder of the last title is someone who has a special affinity for fairies? It would make perfect sense. Not only that, Akamu is not only a Fairy Specialist, but also has the codename of "Guardian", a term which refers to a person who protects or defends something. It's a little too much of a coincidence.

Maybe I should just channel my inner Shannon and ask the question she asked me? If my guess is wrong at the very most I could laugh it off as some sort of joke, if my guess turns out to be right I might have just found the third among the seven of us.

"Have you ever heard of… China?"

There, at least the question I asked is a little different from Shannon's.

Akamu's hands stopped kneading the dough the moment he heard my question and from how he slowly turned to face me, I knew I just found the third among the seven of us.

Talk about an unexpected finding.

Akamu looked towards the exit of the kitchen and when he was sure that there was nobody else in our vicinity, he turned back to look at me.

"How did you know about China?"

"Probably the same as how you knew about it, although I'm certain I didn't appear from a wormhole." I explained, impressed that Akamu actually handled the surprise pretty well. Shannon and I had freaked out badly in our own individual way and here Akamu is, accepting it as it is without much visible surprise. Talk about possessing a strong mental fortitude.

"Shannon's like us too. We all remembered something from before." I added.

"So it's not just me." Akamu said, obviously in deep thought. "But you guys didn't appear from a wormhole? Weird."

"You might just be the only one among us to appear from a wormhole since that is a phenomenon unique to Alola. Shannon and I believe that there are a total of seven of us here in this world. You are the third so far."

"How do you know that there are seven of us?" Akamu questioned.

"Long story." I said with a sigh. "But to keep things simple, we suspect that there is one of us to be found in every region excluding Orre. I suspect Volkner to be like us too, but I never had the chance to have a private word with him. I wanted to find him to talk in private but he disappeared with Velda the moment we decided on how we are having lunch today."

"You know what, let's just go and find him." Akamu decided as he left the dough as it is and started to wash his hands. "If he really is like us it will save you the trouble of needing to explain your story twice."

"Wow, thanks."

"You have any idea how we came to be here?" Akamu asked the moment we were out of Volkner's house and released a decidueye, who took off into the air the moment Akamu instructed it to find Volkner and Velda for us. Decidueye's sharp eyesight will spot their location from above in this dense forest.

"That's the reason why Shannon and I wanted to find the rest of us. We thought maybe one of you will have an answer. From the looks of it, you have no idea either."

"The only thing I remembered was a little of the life of before." Akamu revealed. "I knew that there was an Alola region, but that's about it."

"There really was an Alola region? I never played the games that far so I never knew. I didn't even know if there was indeed a Kalos region."

"There was. Pokemon X and Y, if I recall correctly." Akamu replied before looking up when he heard decidueye calling for him from above. "It seems that decidueye found Volkner. Shall we go?"

"Yes please."

Decidueye got us to somewhere close to Volkner's location with a Shadow Sneak. We heard them even before we saw them.

"C'mon, short stack, let's go. We already got what we need."

"For the _last _time you Hokage wannabe, call me by that damn name _one more time_-"

Akamu interrupted their conversation even before I realised why.

_"Hokage wannabe?"_

Volkner and Velda turned in our direction in obvious shock, obviously not realising that we had snuck up to behind them until we revealed ourselves, but Volkner recovered extremely quickly. If I had no idea what the term Hokage meant, I wouldn't even have realised that Akamu and I had stumbled onto something.

"What are you talking about? And weren't you two in the kitchen marinating the meat or something?" Volkner feigned ignorance, his facial expression betraying nothing as his electivire stood beside him protectively, probably a little jumpy from how a Shadow Sneak from Akamu's decidueye allowed us to get to their backs undetected. Still, Akamu and I were sure that we heard what Velda just called him. She called him a Hokage wannabe. Akamu and I confirmed that we weren't hearing things when we exchanged looks earlier.

So not only were Shannon's and my suspicions spot on as to who holds the title of Leader among the seven of us, we just found _another _of us. Velda is like us too. I had just found another _three _of us within a short span of a day and we are all somehow involved with the interpol.

"Does the name Naruto mean anything to either of you?"

Judging from the change in Volkner's and Velda's facial expressions after Akamu asked that question, they are indeed holders of a unique title etched onto the stone tablet.

This is really an unexpected find.

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. ****Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. ****Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. ****Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. ****Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. ****Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. ****Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. ****Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. ****Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. ****Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. ****Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. ****Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. ****Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**13\. ****Sandile (Rumble), Male**

**14\. ****Unknown creature, self-proclaimed Zygarde (Blob), ?**


	16. Chapter 16- Indigo Legends

_'What got you thinking so hard?'_

"The fact that this world is nothing like any of the pokemon worlds we remembered." I replied Blob from where I am lying on my bed, trying yet failing to sleep. The topic of conversation with my other fellow reincarnated souls still rang clearly in my mind.

I had told Volkner, Velda, and Akamu all I know about the contents of the stone tablet and what Shannon and I had speculated. In return, they shared with me certain abnormalities that they remembered to be different from whatever pokemon verse that they are familiar with.

For one, we had confirmed that there is no Ash Ketchum to be found in this world. Not even a Delia Ketchum exists. However, there is a Gary Blue Oak that is Professor Oak's grandson and that guy is already an adult.

The inconsistency doesn't end there. Velda is from Hoenn and she knows Norman on a personal level. He has a daughter named May but she is only a year old. Comparing May's age with Gary's, we can tell that the timeline is botched up as far as the ages of so-called 'canon' characters are concerned.

Truth to be told, there are already signs that this world is nothing like the other worlds we remembered from the various pokemon adaptations in various forms of media. For one, pokemon in this world are able to learn more than four moves and this world is a lot more dangerous and dark than the various adaptations that we know of. Volkner and Akamu also mentioned that certain things that are canon in the games are not present, at least not yet. For example, the high speed rail that is supposed to connect Goldenrod and Saffron is non-existent. Akamu remembered a little of the Sun/ Moon games which featured the Alola region, something that I had no knowledge of. According to him, he does remember that in the games Ultra Beasts can be caught but for some reason, the same does not apply here. We are not sure if his memories can be relied on since he is a Faller and certain details might have been forgotten, but it still goes to show that this world is unlike any pokemon verse that we are familiar with.

Which is to say, there is no 'canon' plot for us to refer to. Everything that is and will happen in this crazy world, there is no way we will know what is going to happen next. No plot, no canon, nothing. All we have are the little details or facts that we remembered from playing the games. The only thing we can agree on is that this is very likely not the anime verse and that we have to keep a very open mind when exploring what this world has in store for us. In an unfamiliar world like this, overreliance on what we think are facts due to our preconceived notions and assumptions might do us more harm instead.

If it wasn't for the fact that I am now involved in this whole world-saving gig I would welcome the unknown with open arms. To piece out the history of a world that I have no knowledge of, how cool is that? A pity that this world is as dangerous as it is beautiful.

_'Oi, human.'_

_'What is it?' _I mentally sighed as I replied to Blob through the telepathic link instead, too tired to even open my mouth.

_'Just in case the worst comes to pass, we need to collect the missing 2% of my Cells before the big day happens. I have a very bad feeling, Le Porion might need to interfere with the affairs of this poor region on the big day. I need a minimum of 10% of my Cells to be remotely useful.'_

_'Where are the other 2% that we need to find?'_

_'Unfortunately, we had found all we could find in Johto. Kanto is the next best place we can go due to its proximity.'_

_'I don't think that I have the time to go all the way to Johto considering my new job.'_

_'Then find a way. Even at 10% of my power my strength is nothing to scoff at. You measly humans might really need Le Porion's help. If the plans of that idiot Giovanni comes to fruition, the world's balance will be severely disrupted. That is something that Le Porion cannot tolerate.'_

_'I will speak to Volkner about this since you don't want Looker to know about your existence. If anyone can help vouch for me and help find an excuse for me to make a quick trip to Kanto, it will be him.'_

_'See to it that you do. We might as well check on the resting places of the Winged Mirages at the same time since it's been a long time since I heard anything about them. This won't be a wasted trip for you.'_

_'Winged Mirages?'_

_'You humans refer to them as the Legendary Birds.'_

_'Oh.' _I stated in realisation. Zapdos, Moltres, Articuno. Their myths and legends are indeed something that I am interested in, that is for sure.

_'Now go to sleep, don't worry too much about the threat of an artificial legendary pokemon. Le Porion had judged this to be serious enough of a problem to lend you my glorious assistance. Even if the two squawking birds and the three woof-woofs do not appear to lend you their aid, Le Porion is on your side. I will deal with that meow-second thing myself if I have to.'_

_'Mewtwo. Not meow-second.'_

_'Both sound the same to me. Now, sleep. Le Porion orders you to sleep and my command shall not be defied.'_

_'Whatever you say, Blob. Thanks, and good night.'_

_'Hmph.'_

* * *

Volkner apparently had similar thoughts to mine even before I went to find him. After hearing what I have to say regarding Blob and what he mentioned about the Legendary Birds, Volkner is even more certain that something has to be done about Indigo's legends. He had immediately suggested to Lance and Looker to investigate more about Indigo's legendary pokemon, namely Kanto's Legendary Birds and Johto's Tower Duo and Legendary Beasts, and to see if we can secure their help before the day of the battle arrives. The suggestion was quickly approved because if the worse comes to worst, only a legendary can fight another legendary.

Also, if Blob is indeed Zygarde as he claims to be, then we might really need to rely on his aid if the worst comes to pass. If the tales about his strength are indeed true, Zygarde's power is definitely nothing to scoff at even at 10% of its full might, that is something that Volkner agrees with me too and as such, collecting Blob's Cells now becomes a priority on our end, a secret only shared among the five of us reincarnated souls.

Legendary pokemon are often known to be very fickle due to the absurd amount of power they wield and the immortality that they possess, but they are also known to be protective of the respective regions that they each reside in. Legends and myths about their sightings that were passed down through the centuries usually took place when their help was really needed to quell whatever big mess had threatened the region. In a sense, they are their region's protectors.

Most legendary pokemon are also known to keep their word. They take oaths and promises very seriously. If we manage to secure their promise to lend us their aid in the coming crisis, that will be for the best. It's proven that such an act is achievable. The first Indigo Champion was said to have Moltres on his side and with its help, conquered and united both Kanto and Johto to form the Indigo. Moltres is known to be Kanto's friendliest legendary pokemon all things considered, and is also referred to by some as the Guardian of Indigo since it always appeared in their time of need.

From what I was let known, Kanto's Legendary Birds are often not in Kanto and instead, constantly flying across the world in places where they cannot be reached. Ancient myths and folktales about this trio of flying types refer to them as the Winged Mirages. Most of these tales have nothing concrete other than praising their greatness and strength, but there is a copy of a very old piece of parchment made available to me through the Indigo that spoke about a certain legend that nobody could verify.

The legend of the Thu-Fi-Zer.

It's a weird name at first glance, but I soon realise it's because the name Thu-Fi-Zer is a transliteration of a part of the Legendary Birds' names in Kanto's native language, something which the world refers to as the oriental tongue. If I have to use terms from my previous world, the oriental tongue is simply japanese, a shared language between Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and certain parts of Sinnoh but had severely declined in use ever since the PWL was founded in favour of using what is now known as the common tongue, which is also known as English in my previous world. A historian had once attempted to better translate the name of Thu-Fi-Zer into the common tongue and ended up translating it as Zapmolticuno. Zapmolticuno is also a name that is more intuitive to me than Thu-Fi-Zer, so that historian has my thanks in this matter for giving Thu-Fi-Zer a better translation.

From the name alone it's not hard to tell that Zapmolticuno is the mish-mash of names of the three legendary birds. The legend itself is also very vague and is passed down through word of mouth from way back, from a time even before the PWL was founded. Many parts of the legend had been lost but what we do know is that when the powers of the Legendary Birds are united as one is also when the Winged Mirages is truly born. There is nothing recorded in the parchment that spoke about the how, but there are hints that the three birds are kept separated from each other for a very good reason because if they ever become united, they are supposedly unstoppable. If the Winged Mirages goes on a rampage there is nothing that can stop them until they have their fill, that is what the saying goes.

What Indigo does know is that the Legendary Birds can be summoned individually through a very specific method. The problem is, nobody knew what the method is, just that such an option existed. As a sign of trust, Moltres had left a remnant of its flame to Indigo's First Champion which is still preserved somewhere at Indigo Plateau. We're not sure if the flame is the key to summoning Moltres in our time of need, but that's why we are trying our best to investigate further.

We had a little breakthrough when the former members of SKIP told us what they had found out about Kanto's Legendary Birds that they never let know to the League during their SKIP days. What was mentioned in the information they offered was that each bird is individually tied to some sort of "puzzle", each of them located in different places of Kanto and when this puzzle is solved, the Legendary Birds will know and immediately return to protect their homeland, Kanto. SKIP never made any headway in regards to the mentions of the puzzles and how to solve them in order to summon them if Kanto ever needs their help, which is one factor that pushed them to go ahead with Project Rebirth, the project that conceptualised and created the artificial legendary pokemon known as Mewtwo.

The thing is, if this information about the seals was dug out by SKIP, then it means that Giovanni has knowledge of it too. We can only hope that Giovanni and his Team Rocket had not made any progress in regards to solving the puzzles because if that were the case, it means that Team Rocket now has a way to summon the Legendary Birds anytime they want. If we were them, we would probably lay one big trap for each individual bird, solve each of the puzzles, and then ambush them the moment they got home in order to capture them. That is what any smart person would do if they wanted to acquire the power of the Legendary Birds. This is also probably what got Lance very concerned and the reason why he approved of Volkner's suggestion so quickly. Personally, I'm also hoping that something like this has not happened yet because if so, it means that Mewtwo will not be the only legendary pokemon we will be up against.

That's not all. There is also Mew, Kanto's very own mythical pokemon and the pokemon in which Mewtwo was created from. Mew is a being that has been proven by SKIP to have the DNA of every single pokemon in existence and the knowledge to use every pokemon move ever known to man and even more. Even when classified as a mythical pokemon, Mew's power level is proven to be off the charts even for the standard of a legendary pokemon. The only problem is that Mew has a strong aversion to conflict and is unwilling to hurt another soul no matter how evil they may be. The former members of SKIP had cautioned us and Lance that we shouldn't rely on Mew to help us due to this fact. Given Mew's nature, most likely, it will choose to be a bystander than to be an active participant in any conflict.

Kanto's legendaries are solely limited to the Legendary Birds. In terms of numbers, Johto has more legendary pokemon than Johto. Johto has five legendary pokemon and one mythical pokemon. Johto's legendaries consist of the Tower Duo and the Legendary Beasts. Their region's mythical pokemon is celebi.

The Tower Duo are nicknamed as such because about 700 years ago, which is way before the unification of Kanto and Johto and also before the founding of the PWL, the people of Ecruteak had built two nine tier towers opposite each other in the city. The original reason for building the towers were said to be for the sake of fostering friendship between pokemon and humans. The eastern tower was said to awaken pokemon, which is the Bell Tower that we all know today. Bell Tower is also formerly known as Tin Tower in the olden days because the original tower was largely made with a large amount of tin, hence the name. Ho-oh was said to roost at the top of Bell Tower a long time ago.

The western tower was said to be where pokemon rested. It was named as the Brass Tower because it was originally built using a large amount of brass. Like what Ho-oh did, Lugia used to perch itself there regularly. According to the stories, the Tower Duo had once believed in what the people of Ecruteak believed in, that humans and pokemon can coexist peacefully with each other. Them perching on the top of their respective towers was a sign of trust and promise that they too, will work alongside humans to help create a more peaceful world for pokemon and humans alike. It was through the towers that people interacted with Ho-oh and Lugia. Sure, the two legendary pokemon obviously won't be there all the time, but they do fly back to roost on the top of the towers frequently enough to foster closer relationships with the people of Ecruteak if the stories are to be believed.

The change came when about 150 years ago, a lightning bolt struck the Brass Tower. As a result, the Brass Tower caught fire and the inferno raged for three days and three nights. It would have continued burning if a sudden downpour didn't suddenly put out those flames but even then, the Brass Tower had already been razed to the ground. According to the legends, three nameless pokemon had perished in the fire but for some unknown reason, Ho-oh descended from the skies and resurrected them. The sudden resurrection of the three pokemon had terrified all those who had seen their rise and according to the legends, the three pokemon, knowing the depths of their own power and how it will strike fear into people, chose to flee. These three pokemon are Johto's Legendary Beasts. They never willingly appeared before humans after that. Even subsequent sightings of them are brief and are always by happenstance. The Brass Tower was never rebuilt and from that day onwards, people refer to it as the Burned Tower instead. Lugia and Ho-oh also never reappeared in Ecruteak nor do they appear before humans ever again.

There are other myths and tales about what really went on, although these are mostly speculations than anything else. There are accounts who claim that the lightning bolt that struck the Brass Tower was not a natural phenomenon, that it was a work of man. Apparently, not everyone was supportive of the idea of having humans and pokemon fostering better relationships with each other and then somehow or another, someone had the bright idea to call down a lightning bolt to burn the Brass Tower. It was for that reason that the Tower Duo was angered, because the promise and trust between the people of Ecruteak and the Tower Duo had been broken. It was why the Tower Duo was never seen again and why Ho-oh never roosted at the top of the Bell Tower after that fateful day. Lugia's whereabouts are supposedly unknown (at least to the public) but the Indigo League has managed to track its new resting place down to be the Whirl Islands.

The Whirl Islands are a small archipelago located between mainland Johto and Cianwood City. Children in Olivine are often told that if they misbehaved they will be sent to the Whirl Islands, where they will wander in the sprawling maze of dark caves for eternity or sucked into one of the many whirlpools surrounding the archipelago. A long time ago, the Whirl Islands used to be a single large island. However, at a point in time even before the twin towers of Ecruteak was built, two different factions were fighting over it and Lugia, who considers the Whirl Islands as its home, got upset and in its rage, cast lightning bolts to tear the island into four pieces and ended the conflict. Not only that, Lugia is also said to have created the numerous dangerous whirlpools around the archipelago to prevent its home from being invaded ever again. It was then said to disappear beneath the deep end of the waterfall basin within the archipelago, longing for the invisible trust between people and pokemon to manifest once more. That trust had been manifested once when the twin towers were built, but also lost again when the Brass Tower was razed to the ground. Ever since the burning of the Brass Tower about 150 years ago, whatever findings that the Indigo League has about Lugia had led them to believe that Lugia had once again taken refuge in the Whirl Islands after its trust in humans had been broken once again.

If Lugia is known as Johto's Guardian of the Seas, Ho-oh is known as Johto's Guardian of the Skies. Not much is known about Ho-oh after the Burned Tower incident because it is always flying around the world. What we do know is that Ho-oh has the mythical ability to resurrect the dead and that its fire is sacred. Tales often spoke how the few people who bear witness to Ho-oh are promised eternal happiness and how rainbows will follow wherever it goes. People also said that Ho-oh is constantly searching for a trainer with a pure heart, still believing that there will be a day where pokemon and humans can all understand each other and create a better world together.

As for Johto's Legendary Beasts, they are said to be Ho-oh's servants. While they are hardly seen again after their resurrection, tales of their exploits had still been passed down. The three of them are said to embody the events that happened to the Brass Tower: the lightning that struck it, the fire that burned for three days and three nights, and the sudden downpour that put the fire out. Nobody really knows if the Legendary Beasts were already a Suicune, Entei, and a Raikou prior to their revival or if Ho-oh's powers gave them a new form and made them Legendary Pokemon.

Suicune is the more prominent pokemon out of the three because there are more sightings of Suicune as compared to Entei or Raikou. Suicune is said to possess the power to walk across water and purify dirty water with a simple touch. Due to the powers it possesses, it is said to be often wandering around Johto in search of water to purify. The older folktales said that the northern winds always seem to blow in its presence and as such, it is also referred to as the reincarnation of the northern winds. Suicune is a seemingly helpful pokemon as it always used its powers to help pokemon in need and sometimes, save humans from disasters if it happened to be close by. Even then, its appearance was always brief.

Entei is the embodiment of passion and magma. It is said to always be racing across the land because it is unable to restrain its extreme power. Tales often speak of how volcanoes erupt whenever it roars. Its flames are said to consume everything that it touches. There are also stories that spoke of how Mt Mortar was Entei's handiwork and considering that Mt Mortar had indeed magically sprouted out of nowhere shortly after the Burned Tower incident, there might be some sort of truth to it.

Last but not least, Raikou. Raikou embodies the speed of lightning and is said to carry storm clouds on its back, allowing it to fire thunderbolts at will. Raikou arrives and leaves in a thunderbolt. Its extreme quickness lends itself to flight, which may be one reason why among the Legendary Beasts, sightings of Raikou are the least. It doesn't help that unlike Suicune, Raikou is said to be distrustful of humans ever since the Burned Tower incident, and is thus the least likely to appear before humans in our time of need unless the crisis severely threatens the entire Johto region.

Sadly, Lance had delegated the job of checking up on Johto's Legendary Beasts to someone by the name of Eusine, who is according to Volkner, "a nut about Suicune" and is thus the foremost expert in investigating the myths and tales about the Legendary Beasts since all three of them are linked to each other. The fact that Team Rocket may already know the method to summon Kanto's Legendary Birds is why there is now an urgent need to ascertain the status of Johto's Legendary Beasts and the Tower Duo. While Indigo is sure that the Legendary Beasts are often wandering about in Johto instead of travelling anywhere out of the region and they had always appeared in Johto's greatest time of need, Lance wants to be absolutely sure about certain things given the crisis Indigo will be facing.

Firstly, we need to be sure that Team Rocket has not gotten their hands on them or find ways to summon or immobilise them. Legendary pokemon are powerful, there's no doubting that, but there are always ways to circumvent their power. Volkner had admitted that such a thing is already possible with how technology had advanced in today's day and age and that such an endeavour is Team Galactic's specialty. Volkner had once witnessed how Team Galactic had almost captured Darkrai. What's worrying is that there are signs that indicated that Team Rocket and Team Galactic had recent cooperations with each other in regards to finding ways to capture and restrain legendary pokemon, which is why someone must be sent to ascertain if Indigo's Legendary Pokemon are indeed alright. On Indigo's side, Eusine will be sent to track the Legendary Beasts down. Indigo will also send people they trust to check on Whirl Islands where Lugia is supposed to be taking refuge at, and also the state of the Bell Tower, the place which used to be Ho-oh's home.

As for me, Looker and Volkner had tasked me to investigate the mystery behind the Legendary Birds, especially on finding out the method to summon them back to Kanto just so in case Indigo has another backup plan should Mewtwo prove to be too powerful to be rescued from the M2 Bind or properly contained should it lash out in a fit of anger. If possible, Lance had also wanted me to find out more about the myth on the Thu-Fi-Zer to see what it really is about since Giovanni does know about this particular fact about the Legendary Birds. We have no doubts that Giovanni had definitely done his homework on the legends of Zapmolticuno too since he had known about it during his SKIP days. We can only hope that he did not make any headway into the matter.

And thus, that's how I got assigned to my very first job as an agent of the interpol.

Find out as much as I can about Kanto's Legendary Birds and if possible, convince them to lend us their aid in the coming crisis. That is the official mission given to me by Looker and Lance. Unofficially, Volkner also told me to use this chance to help Blob in retrieving his remaining Cells in Kanto that he had said he needed. Hopefully, whatever Cells I help Blob find in Kanto will add up to the grand total of 10%, which according to Blob, is the minimum amount of Cells that he needs to be of any real use in the coming battle. Deadline?

_Two weeks._

Talk about a tight schedule.

* * *

**AN: The Thu-Fi-Zer, or Zapmolticuno, depending on which translations you had read about, is a unique entity belonging to the Pokemon Adventures manga. If you really want to know what they look like you can simply google it. To me, what really made me fall in love with pokemon back then was when I was reading the Pokemon Adventures manga. The realism of it, the darker elements of it, including the sense of adventure that comes with being a pokemon trainer is really what I think the world of pokemon should be. Of course, that doesn't mean that the world I am writing about is the manga verse. It's just that I want to pay a tribute to the Pokemon Adventures manga, the reason why I love pokemon as much as I do now, and this is my own way of doing so.**

**As usual, hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. Mamoswine (Berg), Male **

**2\. Golem (Crust), Female **

**3\. Excadrill (Solid), Male **

**4\. Golurk (Drift), Genderless **

**5\. Garchomp (Core), Male **

**6\. Claydol (Vision), Genderless **

**7\. Whiscash (Seis), Male **

**8\. Marowak (Tinen), Female **

**9\. Torterra (Terra), Female **

**10\. Gigalith (Mantle), Male **

**11\. Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male **

**12\. Aurorus (Sail), Female **

**13\. Sandile (Rumble), Male **

**14\. ****Unknown creature, self-proclaimed ****Zygarde ****(Blob), ?**


	17. Chapter 17- Verify

Ever since that fateful day where the interpol first met each other for real and the five of us found each other, certain things had changed as well. For one, I had been assigned to research and investigate Kanto's Legendary Birds, to find a way to enter their nests and summon them back as stated in the ancient records but which methods had been left blank. It may be simply lost to the sands of time or it may have been omitted on purpose, but that that isn't the point. The point is whether I can piece out the missing information, help Indigo find a way to enter the nests of the Winged Mirages, and summon them back to their nests at the same time.

Thankfully, I managed to fill in the missing blanks after several sleepless nights. It's partly thanks to my foreknowledge that I am able to do so, but nobody other than my fellow reincarnators would know that. What is important is that I now found out the way to reach the nests of each legendary bird. From what I found, apparently, finding the way to enter their nests is the same as summoning them back, which makes things a lot simpler on our end.

For my fellow reincarnators, there are other things that have happened on their end as well. The largest find was on Velda's side, because she managed to locate our Flier shortly after the five of us found each other. Her name is Skye Bale, and right now she is Falkner's little sister and a Ranger of Johto's 1st Ranger Regiment. We still haven't managed to find Shadow nor does Skye have the answers we seek, on why we were all brought here into this world, but it is reassuring to have found another one like us.

When I had confirmed and piece out the method needed to reach the respective nests of each legendary bird, I had immediately gone to inform Looker and Volkner of my findings, who in turn informed Lance. Their final verdict was for us to immediately investigate the three nests because on Indigo's end, it is too hard to accurately determine three individuals which they can fully trust, have the time to embark on such a sensitive and dangerous mission, and have the needed skills to venture into the areas where the Winged Mirages made their nests. Even with the comprehensive list of spies Lance now have thanks to our informant, there is no guarantee that the list is complete. There might be other sleeper agents that the informant never knew about. The interpol members, however, definitely have at least three individuals who fulfil all three criterias above, so we were sent for the job.

Velda had gone to the Power Plant to locate Zapdos. Her job is arguably the easiest out of the three of us because the Power Plant wasn't where Zapdos originally made its nest. Hence, Velda has no need to solve the mysterious puzzle if she is simply there to check its new nest at the Power Plant and from there, determine if Zapdos is currently around in the Kanto region. She would only need to solve the puzzle to summon Zapdos back to Kanto if it is obvious that Zapdos had not been roosting at the Power Plant for a very long period of time.

Akamu had headed for Victory Road to seek out Moltres. His mission is arguably the most dangerous out of the three because the area which Moltres had made its nest in Victory Road is the home to many powerful and ferocious wild pokemon. It will be dangerous for anyone not on the level of a Pillar to try and navigate their way inwards to reach Moltres' nest, but this is Akamu we are talking about. He is someone who had been pursued by Ultra Beasts for close to two decades before Mary invented the Faller Cloaking Device. He had been living alongside danger ever since he was dropped into this world. He is the most suited person to go check on Moltres' nest and see if the fire type is around in Kanto.

I am here at Seafoam Islands to find Articuno, which is also the coldest area in Kanto. This is also officially my first time in the Kanto region.

My very first impression of the region is that Kanto is a land full of mountains and flat plains, the perfect environment for rock and ground types. The skies look a lot more vast in this region simply because there's not a lot of things that can obstruct the view, especially when you are in the flatter areas.

_'So of all places we have to go explore, you chose to head to the one and only coldest places in the entire region? I'm freezing here! Le Porion hates the cold!'_

_'I wrapped you up with a scarf, so stop being so dramatic.'_

Right beside me are Berg and Sail, who are accompanying me as we ventured down into the bowels of the Seafoam Islands, a place made inaccessible to anyone that is not an Elite trainer of Kanto and the law was further enforced by the local Rangers. The reason for this is simple. This place is simply that dangerous and the Indigo League does not want to deal with needless casualties all because of foolish trainers overestimating their capabilities.

Under normal circumstances I would not be allowed to venture so deep into a restricted place like this, but I have permission from Lance himself. I am so going to abuse this privilege for as long as I can and fully explore this place to my heart's content.

The caves of Seafoam Islands are entirely frozen within and are dotted with many large boulders. There are only two ways to get past them. Either you destroy the boulders completely, or you push them around with your pokemon's help. The first method, however, usually takes too much effort, so the second option is the more popular one out of the two.

I mean, when you have a pokemon like a mamoswine on your team, pushing away a big boulder is like having a puppy casually kicking a tennis ball around. It's not much of a hassle.

_'Human, ye Lord is not pleased with this place. I order thee to leave, now.'_

_'Then do something to help rather than to complain. The sooner we can confirm Articuno's status, the sooner we can leave.'_

_'Oh come on, I have to deal with another flappy bird? An **ice **type at that?'_

_'If you are not helping then keep quiet, I have to concentrate.'_ I replied as I stood in front of a forked path with three- no, five different possible directions that I could search. The caves of Seafoam Islands is a gigantic labyrinth in itself. Even after so long since Indigo's founding, nobody could have claimed to have fully explored Seafoam Islands and ventured to the deepest part of it where Articuno is said to roost. This is partly attributable to the network of maze within the island, and also partly attributable to the sheer number of dangerous ice types making their homes here. The deeper you are within the Seafoam Islands, the colder the temperature. Powerful ice types love to make their homes in places with the coldest temperatures possible, which means the more powerful ones are always found deeper within Seafoam Islands nearer to where Articuno's supposed nest is.

I adjusted the scarf worn around my neck to cover the bottom half of my face, my hands holding onto a heat pack that I brought along for the very purpose of exploring the Seafoam Islands. Berg stood a little closer to me in an attempt to use his body heat to warm me up somehow as Sail continued to sing a merry tune, happy to come to a freezing place like this.

Now, here comes the million dollar question. Which direction should I take?

_'Blob. Now is the time to make yourself useful.'_

_'Don't order me around, human!'_

_'Oh, right, allow me to rephrase myself. **Please **make yourself useful.'_

_'Le Porion will not be swayed by the wishes of mortals!'_

_'We are not going back to the surface until we find concrete facts that Articuno is alright and is currently in the Kanto region.'_

_'You- argh! Fine!'_ Blob grumbled before going silent for a few seconds. He gave me an answer soon enough.

_'Second one from the left, it leads deeper into the island as compared to the rest. If you want to find the ice bird, that's your best bet.'_

_'Thank you.'_

_'Hmph.'_

The path Blob pointed us on soon leads up to a steep narrow slope downwards, almost like a slide with how slippery the ice path is. Any wild pokemon that wandered too close, Berg will send them running with a Roar. If they still want to stay and fight, Berg and Sail are strong enough to put them down. Even if they aren't, I still have an entire team with me.

_'Cold! Too cold! It's freezing cold in here and Le Porion **hates **it!'_

I stuffed another heat pack into the pocket where Blob is taking residence in, shutting him up for a moment.

_'Hot! Hot hot hot hot hot! Too hot! What is this abomination that emits heat as scorching as the sun?! Too hot! Take it away from me!'_

I simply rolled my eyes and ignored Blob as we continued to make our way downwards.

* * *

_'Can someone tell me again how is the water here not frozen solid?'_

I don't know how deep we had ventured into the Seafoam Islands, only that we are very deep in. In any case, we had gotten so deep that we found a very large water body in the depths of Seafoam Islands. The currents of the water here are so strong and chaotic that simply by watching it gives me goosebumps. The roar of water is loud enough that it could probably drown me out no matter how loud I screamed. The temperature here is absolutely freezing and I had long since hidden myself in Berg's thick fur, riding on his back to keep myself warm.

There are small spits of land jutting out from the water surface across the big lake (?) within the caves of the Seafoam Islands. I don't see any way further down so I really hope that we are at the deepest level, which would mean that we are very close to Articuno's nest.

Sail tried using her ice type techniques to freeze the water solid so as to create a path for us to cross over the water body, only for it to fail when the ice simply cracked under the pressure and force of the water currents beneath. I have no idea if this is natural physics or pokemon logic at work, but I do know that we cannot possibly cross the waters using conventional methods. Even Seis, my whiscash, wouldn't be able to push through the ferocious torrent of water raging about here. We will be promptly swept away the moment we tried to surf across it.

Berg had seemingly come to the same conclusion as I did, for he had already begun to move the earth beneath his feet to create a makeshift bridge to connect the piece of land that we are standing on to the next nearest one. Once we are sure that our makeshift bridge is sturdy enough to handle our weight, Berg slowly lumbered his way over to the next piece of land. We repeated the process over and over again as we crossed from one small piece of land to the next, finally reaching a large and deep cavern that I am sure has to be the entrance of Articuno's nest.

As to why I am so sure? Not only is there a huge ancient emblem of what is unmistakably Articuno carved into a large ice wall right in the middle of the cavern, there are feathers littered around the area, feathers that look as though they are made of thin sheets of ice but yet felt like real feathers. These have to belong to Articuno and they are really beautiful.

_'Since we established that the ice bird is not around, can we get a move on?'_

_'We need to solve the puzzle and enter Articuno's nest in order to properly check on it, and two, summon it back here if it is obvious that it hasn't been around for a long time. This is merely the entrance.'_ I reminded Blob as I looked around for clues while pocketing a handful of these priceless feathers in my pocket. I have no doubt that the researchers back at Olivine would want to study these, especially Shannon.

And yes, puzzle. The investigations that I had conducted on the Legendary Birds and Zapmolticuno had led me to believe that there is indeed a proper way to enter their respective nests and summon them back to it, which is by solving a very specific puzzle right at the entrance of their nests. The parchment the former leaders of SKIP gave me held a secret that I managed to decipher only very recently, that the Legendary Birds once made a pact with a very ancient tribe to protect Kanto. Seafoam Islands, the area near Rock Tunnel at Route 10 where Kanto Power Plant would eventually be built centuries later, Victory Road, these are the three places where the ancient tribe had built the nests for Kanto's Legendary Birds.

The nests each hold a specific puzzle that serves two functions. For one, It enables whoever that manages to solve the puzzle to properly enter the nests of the birds. Secondly, doing so will also alert the Legendary Birds to come back to their nest no matter how far away they may be when the respective puzzles are solved, that was what I had found out.

_"Spark your instinct, call down the storms atop Mt Thunder to strike what most defies all sense of your reason. Prove your valour, consume the fire of victory into your heart to fuel your strength. Show your worth to the Mystics, tame the chaotic flow with your wisdom. Instinct, Valour, Mystic. When the forces of trinity are united, the Winged Mirages will then be truly born, and none will be able to stop them from conquering the skies."_

That is the riddle-like puzzle which I managed to piece out after many sleepless nights. It's not very helpful in explaining exactly _what _the puzzles are, but it is something we can at least work with. I can only hope that Velda and Akamu can solve their respective riddles and puzzles on their end because right here, I'm cracking my head trying to figure out the piece of the puzzle that is related to Articuno.

I soon found what I think is the puzzle. Scattered right across the floor of the cavern are mechanical switches about as big as Berg. The switches looked really old and ancient, and it is obvious that they had been made centuries ago. They can be easily depressed when stepped on but the moment we stepped away, they popped back up. Not only that, every single time the switch is depressed, something would rise up from the waters and block the flow of water in certain key areas, acting very much like a dam. Those dam-like structures helped to tame the flow of the raging currents a little, making it now possible to surf across it should we want to.

Problem is, the switches have to be constantly be pressed on for the dams to stay there. Stepping on them is not a permanent solution in order to help us solve the puzzle.

For someone who had once played the FireRed LeafGreen games a long long time ago, these switches certainly do work in a way that is _very familiar_ to me. It couldn't be, right? Or could it? The riddle did say _Show your worth to the Mystics, tame the chaotic flow with your wisdom._ In our case, could the chaotic flow refer to the raging waters right here? So if I managed to find a way to calm the waters through using the switches present to control its flow, the puzzle will be solved, is that it?

Only one way to find out.

"Berg, Sail, raise a big boulder and then push it on top of the switches. Find every last switch you can locate and do the same."

Because if these switches really do work as I remembered them to be in the games that I had once played in my previous life…

It didn't take long for Berg and Sail to do as I asked and when we finally put a boulder on the very last switch we found, the waters calmed immediately and the entire cavern shook for a moment. However, nothing else happened even when we waited. Maybe Articuno is currently too far away from Kanto to make it back immediately?

_'I don't think ice wings is coming back.'_

_'We only just solved the puzzle. Maybe it is just too far away to make it back right away.'_

_'No, I don't think so. Le Porion just sensed something different. To our right. Walk to our right.'_

I did as Blob asked and soon enough, we found an entrance to another cave in a wall that wasn't there previously. This has to be the real entrance that leads to Articuno's nest. How on earth did we miss that? How was something so obvious and big hidden from us while we were mulling about trying to solve the puzzle?

Sometimes, ancient technology in this world is really something to marvel at. I could still remember how I first found the stone tablet that would irreversibly change my life and understanding of the world. Either that was mysterious ancient technology at work, or some super powerful pokemon had created that mysterious space that only I could enter like what Blob assumed it to be.

_'Look, human. Tell me what is wrong.'_

My eyes widened at the sight the moment we entered the area where Articuno's nest is. Right in there is a gigantic nest of ice, one bigger than what I could have ever imagined. That is not all. What got me alarmed are the obvious signs of a huge battle having taken place here and it has to be recent. Blood was splattered all around the area and gigantic ice structures dotted the place we were in. Someone had been here recently. Someone had beaten me and the Indigo to the punch and reached Articuno even before we did.

Blob hopped out of my pocket and began to survey the place, still wrapped up in the red scarf I had given him to keep him warm. Berg and Sail accompanied me as I examined the scene as well. Whoever Articuno was fighting against, it couldn't have been a single person. A large group was obviously here, a group that is most likely assembled for the sole purpose of capturing Articuno.

Problem is, who was the victor of the battle?

_'Human? We have a problem.'_

_'I can tell.' _I snarked back as I continued to examine the scene, desperately trying to find clues that might reveal to me if Articuno is indeed safe.

_'Ice wings lost, I am sure. That bird must have already been captured.'_

_'How? How did you know?' _I looked up to face Blob, alarmed.

_'I am the embodiment of the earth, I am earth itself. All I had to do was to ask the earth what had happened here and I will know.' _Blob told me, his voice uncharacteristically grave and serious. _'It is not a power that I can use often in this pathetic state but this situation warranted such an action. I had asked, and the earth had replied. The ice bird lost and was captured by the men in black, the ones who you refer to as Team Rocket.'_

My heart dropped. This is really the worst case scenario.

_'I know what you are feeling right now.'_ Blob said as he hopped back to me and climbed on top of my shoulder. _'But not all is lost yet. Maybe Zapdos and Moltres are still free and about. In any case, you still haven't forgotten our other purpose for coming to Kanto, have you?'_

_'Find the rest of your missing Cells.'_

_'Exactly. Even at 10%, I am still a formidable foe for any other Legendary pokemon. I had promised you to lend you my power to protect the balance of the world. Le Porion is not going to sit back and watch any longer, Le Porion will act as my duty as Overseer dictates. I will take action but first, I need your help to find my missing Cells. Leave the investigation of sparky bird and burning bird to the other two. For now, we need to make haste in collecting my Cells to prepare for the very worst possible scenario.'_

_'For once, you are very persuasive.'_ I admitted before capturing the scene before us using my holocaster. There is no network or signal so deep into the islands, I will have to exit the Seafoam Islands and report this back to Volkner and Looker ASAP. The Indigo League will need to know and prepare themselves for this. _Articuno_. Team Rocket had actually done the impossible and captured _Articuno_.

Mewtwo and Articuno. This is a very disastrous situation we have in our hands.

_'Is there any other things you can tell me about what happened here?'_

_'Unfortunately, my power in this state is severely lacking and limited. Whatever Le Porion just told you was the best I could do.'_

_'I see, thanks. So where are we going next to find your Cells?'_

_'About that…'_

* * *

"Of all places, why here?"

_'How would I know? Ask my Cells!'_

After I got out of the Seafoam Islands and there is finally a usable network connection that I can use to relay to Volkner and Looker about what we had found out at the Seafoam Islands, I made haste to help Blob find his Cells.

As it turns out, Blob's Cells are located at a place that is infested with digletts and dugtrios. The Diglett's Cave, a place where only the diglett species can be found and where they made their gigantic burrow here. You could take a pebble, throw it in any random direction, and your pebble will hit on a diglett or a dugtrio somehow. That is how infested this place is.

Rumble made a low rumbling sound from his little throat before jumping forward, tackling a diglett down, only for the diglett to quickly duck back underneath the ground to make his escape.

"Rumble, come back here. We don't want to anger the entire horde." I said and gestured for the youngest member on my team to return to my side. My entire team is already out of their pokeballs, eyeing the place warily. We are deep in diglett territory and while this species of pokemon isn't all that special or particularly strong on its own, facing an entire nest of them in their territory is a terrifying thing to behold.

Especially if they have the Arena Trap ability. God, that is one annoying ability to be on the receiving end of.

"Alright, you guys know the drill. Roar!"

As one, the members of my team who can use this move bellowed out loud as the effects of the Roar took effect. Many of the younger and weaker diglett and dugtrio fled the moment this move was used, but the stronger dugtrios took it as a sign of challenge.

Yeah, turns out game logic isn't fully applicable in real life. Roar is only useful when the opposing team is afraid of you.

_'Hurry and locate your Cells, Blob. We don't have all day and there's no way we can last for too long.'_

_'I'm already on it. Sheesh, what kind of subjects rush their Lord to do things and order them around?'_

Seis took the initiative and started out with a Surf, forcing many of the dugtrios to get out of our way or go into hiding if they didn't want to drown. A few managed to brave through it somehow and I spotted a variety of attacks coming our way. I clicked my tongue when I spotted Tri Attack mixed within that salvo. That particular move is a real pain to deal with sometimes.

"Vision!"

My claydol raised psychic barriers to help us weather through the storm of attacks coming our way. A number of dugtrios had begun to shake the earth with Magnitude or Earthquake but their actions were swiftly countered by us when my ground types wrestled the control of the earth away from them by force.

I would give them an A for effort, but trying to do _us _in with _ground _type techniques is laughable when you are not on the same level as us.

My eyes spotted Rumble eagerly joining the frontlines. Unlike the time when we were in the Tower of Mastery, Rumble is a lot stronger now. He can hold his own in a battle like this. In fact, I'm expecting him to evolve very soon. The bigger jaws, stronger hindlegs, growth of protruding ridges on his back, the gradual change in shine and colour of his scales, every part of his body is starting to change and hinting towards the idea of an imminent evolution. When I first captured him back in Kalos, I had expected him to be a krookodile by now, but his growth rate had slowed down considerably all of a sudden ever since we went to Unova. That doesn't mean that Rumble isn't growing, but it's more like he's purposely amassing the power stored within him and waiting to evolve at a much later time instead of doing so immediately. I have no idea why he is doing this on purpose, but I believe in him and there's probably a very good reason why he chose this method.

Or maybe it's because Rumble is one of the rare breeds of sandiles with the Moxie ability. There are cases where a pokemon having a different innate ability from their peers affects their growth rate directly, especially when it comes to evolution. Maybe I should ask Shannon the next time I see her? She would know a thing or two when it comes to Pokemon Evolution.

_'I located them! All the way inside!'_

**_"All the way INSIDE?!"_**

It wasn't just me, even my entire team shot Blob dirty looks that screamed bodily harm when Blob very haughtily informed us where his Cells were. Great. Now we have to fight through the _entire _wave of dugtrios to reach his Cells. We have no choice but to really anger the entire horde this time, something which we are not keen on doing at all.

"Couldn't you like, I don't know, _call them here_ instead?" I grumbled while continuing to bark orders at my team as we pushed onwards. I'm not sure if I should be glad that no other trainers are in the depths of the Diglett's Cave today at this time. I'm pretty sure nobody would be happy to get caught up in our mess right now.

_'Call them here and let them end up being minced meat?'_ Blob scoffed as he gestured to the mayhem ahead. Well, he has a point. His Cells have close to zero fighting power, that much I know.

"Blizzard!"

With a single move, Berg and Sail disabled a large portion of the dugtrio army that we were facing and temporarily encased them in ice, buying us precious time to quickly move deeper into the infested nest that is the Diglett's Cave.

"Hurry and lead the way, Blob!"

_'Just keep going ahead!'_

We ran as fast as we could, not at all interested in having a drawn out battle against an entire nest of digglets and dugtrios. I lost count on how many twists and turns that we have to make and how many different tunnels I have spotted within the cave. Who knows where the digglets and dugtrios burrow to in their spare time? I wouldn't be surprised if one of these tunnels lead us back to Johto somehow.

_'We are here!'_

Blob's telepathic voice caught our attention and true enough, we spotted a bunch of Cells squirming their way out from one of the countless small holes within the Diglett's Cave. Without further ado, I took out the Cube from my pocket and quickly let them crawl their way in. The only good thing is that for some reason, we had somehow left the pursuing horde of dugtrios so far behind that it would take them a while to catch up to us. Like this, their Arena Trap ability has temporarily lost effect until we are in their range once more.

We need to make our escape before they catch us with their Arena Trap again.

"We are done here! Vision!"

My claydol got the cue as it immediately gathered a huge amount of psychic energy in an instant, ready to teleport us out before the dugtrios arrive and trap us in with their annoying Arena Trap ability. A blink later, we are out, the sight of Kanto's blue skies greeting us instead of the dreary dark and damp cave we were in earlier.

"That, is the _last _time I would ever want to be there."

My pokemon all grunted out their various agreements. Glad to see that we all think the same.

I felt a tug at my jeans and I turned around.

"Yes, Rumble?"

Rumble made a deep rumbling sound from his throat. This time, sounding a lot different than usual. I panicked for a second, worrying that he might have sustained some major injury that I did not notice while we were charging through the Diglett's Cave earlier until he _glowed_.

_Evolution._

It's been a long time since I saw any of my pokemon evolve, but seeing it again with my own eyes after so long still made me feel the same magical feeling as when I had seen it the first time as a child. I watched as right before my very eyes, Rumble grew larger and larger and started to stand on his hindlegs, his forearms growing longer and his snout getting larger and more elongated. Soon, the light died down and a krokorok stood in front of us, letting out a happy roar.

_'Oh great, the little snapper grew to be an even bigger snapper.'_

I couldn't bring myself to care about Blob's words or berate him for his attitude. All I remembered was me giving Rumble a big hug as my entire team huddled around us, cheering for Rumble's growth to a krokorok.

Rumble's evolution is like a sign to us that there is still hope that things might turn out for the better in the end.

A sign that we really need right now in this bleak period of time.

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**13\. Sandile (Rumble), Male**

**14\. Unknown creature, self-proclaimed Zygarde (Blob), ?**


	18. Chapter 18- Tidecaller of Kalos

"It doesn't feel like we are going to be of much use waiting here."

"Patience, Nova. Patience."

Siebold sipped on some warm tea opposite the makeshift stone table that his pokemon created. Both of us are sitting right at the entrance of a cave, situated at the cove of one of the four islands that made up Whirl Islands where the shadows are cast over us, shielding us from the harsh sun rays. Right in front of our eyes are the big blue sea and the sandy white beach.

All in all, we look more like we are on vacation than on lookout for Team Rocket's forces that we know will pass by the Whirl Islands when they inevitably launch a siege on Olivine. Our intel had suggested that they will take the sea route in their attempt to siege Olivine, bypassing the need to go through Ecruteak if their route of invasion was through traversing the land instead.

Not many trainers specialise in naval battles. Usually, such trainers are Water Specialists and even then, to be called an expert in naval battles is an entirely different thing from being known as a Water Specialist. To know how to train water types and to use their actual combat outside of league regulated battles are both very different matters. The latter requires a lot of practical experience in unsanctioned battles where rules don't matter.

Siebold is one such expert. This is why he is placed here on Whirl Islands, to intercept the Rocket forces that are coming through the sea. As for why I'm placed here, it's entirely Volkner's decision. A decision that nobody bothered to comment about because Volkner was the one who arranged the manpower. I had soon learnt very early on that nobody ever questions Volkner's decisions when it comes to matters like this, because he is arguably the foremost expert in crime busting.

That still didn't stop me when I learnt of the arrangement. I had asked Volkner why he placed me with Siebold, on _Whirl Islands_ where sea is everywhere and land is scarce. His answer?

_"Because you are both from Kalos."_

Like, _what the hell?_

I can understand if he placed me with Siebold simply because we both knew each other from way back. We are indeed familiar with each other's battling habits and style. My team and I may not be as powerful as Siebold's, but I am confident that I will not be a burden to him. But even then, to place me on Whirl Islands where I have barely any land to work with the moment the Rockets sail past us is really asking too much from me.

Around us are several squads of Indigo's best trainers that hail from the STAR forces. Think of them as Indigo's version of special ops. Like me, they are here to assist Siebold and are capable of holding their own in naval battles. Not only that, they are privy to the secret which is the existence of Mega Evolution, even if only a select few are temporarily allowed to hold onto such items just for today.

"My dear sirs, are you sure you don't want to drink some tea? These are some of the finest tea leaves from Kalos, I swear upon it as a masterchef."

"Thank you, sir, but we are on duty."

Siebold shrugged wordlessly when his offer was politely rejected for the third time today. He continues to brew another batch of tea with help of his water types. The only people who are leisurely drinking tea right now are Siebold and I. If I have to be honest with myself, I am probably the only one present who dares to drink tea with the Elite Four Siebold.

I don't know what Siebold did exactly, but I do know that he had garnered himself quite a frightening reputation among the truly skilled trainers, especially among Kalos trainers. It happened shortly after we participated in our conference many years back. Whatever he had done, it is not something that is reported on the news. It is those types of things that are spread through rumours from one person to another.

I never did ask him what that was all about and neither did I go to find out more. All I know is that from then on, everybody gave Siebold quite a wide berth and it was how he attracted the attention of the Kalos League, eventually becoming a member of their Elite Four. People soon gave him the moniker of 'Tidecaller', even if Siebold hardly went by the moniker himself.

If I have to be frank, I personally find it hard to associate Siebold as a terrifying person. He's strong, yes. Powerful, definitely.

But outright _terrifying?_

Sorry, I could not visualise him as such a person no matter how hard I tried. I had known him for more than a decade and never once did he make me feel any form of fear towards him. To me, he is always the goofy and dramatic man-child that throws a tantrum over the smallest of things.

"Report! Spotted a large Rocket group about three kilometers southeast of here! Estimated numbers to be at around one thousand!"

_"One thousand?"_ I cannot help but ask. One thousand Rockets would mean at least six thousand pokemon to fight against, give or take, and that is if everyone sticks to the one-person-six-pokemon estimation. If there are ten pokemon per Rocket, that would mean _ten thousand_ pokemon to fight against. If even a tenth of the Rockets are Elite trainers, that would mean one hundred Elite trainers to go up against, which could mean that we would have to face anywhere from 600 Elite level pokemon to 1,000 of them.

Holy hell, about a hundred Team Aqua grunts were enough to bring about the Lilycove Invasion back at Hoenn where countless were killed. Now we have _one thousand_ of them?

Of course, the difference between fellow Elite level trainers can be as huge as day to night, like how I am as compared to Siebold, but Elite level trainers are still a rarity anywhere you go and that title can only be earned. You have to possess a certain degree of skill and power to earn all eight badges and to participate in at least one conference to earn the official title of Elite trainer.

Even Siebold frowned a little at the news reported by the scout.

"Oh dear, that is certainly way more than we had expected. It seems that our intel is not entirely accurate." Siebold gave a thoughtful nod as he stood up and walked towards the sea, his water types gathering around him from where they were lounging about earlier.

"Inform Olivine about the change in development, and that we will be enacting our side of the plan now. We will intercept the Rockets the moment they are within range, just as we had discussed."

"Yes sir!'

The Indigo STAR forces got to work immediately. Siebold's new batch of tea went forgotten as we both stood on the beach of the Whirl Islands, the gentle sea breeze a stark contrast to what would happen later.

"Afraid, Nova?"

"I would be lying if I say that I'm not afraid, even a little. I am no stranger to battles and perilous situations but this is my first time participating in something like this." I admitted.

"Then don't be. Besides, I'm here."

"What are you planning to do exactly?"

"Something that is not very pleasant. Something which I would prefer that you never see me do. Just as water is the giver of life, it can take life away just as easily." Siebold answered after a moment of brief silence as his entire team of water types took to the waters with the exception of his blastoise and starmie, who remains standing beside us.

"I never did see you in action before ever since you became an Elite Four."

"I don't want you to, and I'm glad that you never probed too far."

"Is my opinion on the matter that important to you?"

"What can I say? I don't have a lot of people that I can say are my true friends, that I can trust with all of my heart. It's human nature to want to do everything in their power to let their trusted friends remain close to them, isn't it?"

"Uh, I'm flattered?"

Siebold sent me a small smile before focusing his attention to the sea ahead. Already, the Rockets are getting closer and closer to the Whirl Islands. It's just like our intel had suggested. Team Rocket is really planning to lay a siege on Olivine and they plan to reach there through the sea, which will cause them to pass by the Whirl Islands. Under ordinary circumstances such an act would definitely blindside Olivine entirely, because nobody would be expecting such a bold attack to be conducted right on Indigo National Day.

Fortunately for us, we do have a whistleblower working for our cause. It was what allowed us to make preparations for today.

"I'm going to get this show started." Siebold declared. Behind us, the STAR forces are lying in wait, waiting for Siebold to make his move before they do.

It was then that I noticed that the sea had become a lot more choppy and rough. It was then I realised that the gentle sea breeze had unknowingly got a lot more stronger and ferocious. It was then that I saw dark clouds gathering at a speed too rapid for it to be natural.

Without me knowing, Siebold's water types had already made their move.

Then, it happened.

Without any warning, an enormous tidal wave emerged right in front of the Rockets and engulfed a large portion of them, showing me how Siebold had earned himself the moniker of the Tidecaller. At almost the same time, the skies began to pour and lightning began to streak across the skies. The STAR forces moved, using their flying types to quickly get to their positions within seconds and fired lightning based attacks indiscriminately at where the Rockets are congregating.

I turned my head towards Siebold, who is simply standing by my side unmoving with an expressionless face. This is not the Siebold that I am familiar with, not the Siebold who would laugh with me, not the Siebold who will cook masterful meals for me and childishly pleading me to help him taste test his new works of art, and definitely not the Siebold whose antics would drive me up the literal wall.

This Siebold is Kalos Elite Four Siebold Bocuse, the Tidecaller of Kalos. This Siebold is the Water Specialist which the entire region holds in equal amounts of respect and fear.

The whirlpools around the Whirl Islands roared louder than I could possibly imagine. Rain began to shower down over us amidst the howling winds, beating against our faces as they responded to the power Siebold's pokemon possessed. I can only watch as the whirlpools gradually grew larger, and larger, and _larger _until they reached the area where the Rockets are currently at, having been forced to halt their advance thanks to the intervention from Siebold and the STAR forces that are ordered to assist him.

By now, I can understand what Siebold is trying to do. He is making use of the geographical advantage that we have, making the most out of his unique skill sets that he can bring to the table as a Water Specialist.

He is using the whirlpools surrounding the Whirl Islands to swallow our enemies whole, dragging them down to a watery grave that will never see daylight ever again.

This is why he didn't allow the Rockets to advance any further the moment they got close enough to the Whirl Islands. This is an area that anyone has to pass by if they want to reach Olivine through sea, we all have to get close to this part of the Whirl Islands to ever reach Olivine. Usually, the whirlpools nearby are not a threat as long as you keep your distance but if they were artificially enlarged with the help of water types, then it is an entirely different story.

I have no idea just how many Rockets Siebold and the STAR forces had demolished with this trap alone. What I do know is that a sizable number of Rockets have managed to make their escape regardless, either via Teleport or with their flying types. Some of them are heading towards us in their attempt to get the sea to stop raging at them.

"I'm leaving things to you, Nova."

"I got it." I replied as I signalled for my team to get ready. As long as I have land to work with, then I'm not entirely helpless. If they want to fight me on the Whirl Islands where land is abundant then there's no way they are going to defeat me anytime soon, no matter how strong they may be.

The Rockets had gotten close enough for them to start firing ranged attacks our way. Vision dutifully intercepted each and every of the attacks with masterful use of Reflect and Light Screen. Sail let loose a roaring Blizzard alongside Berg, freezing a few unfortunate Rockets who were too slow to make their escape and causing them to drop into the raging sea below. I never see them floating back up again.

Core bellowed as the earth around us erupted in a furious frenzy. Sand, rock, and mud shifted under the powers of my team as they formed a wave that did not look any smaller than the watery one Siebold's pokemon had conjured earlier. Another group of the Rockets were brought under the earth that we had moved. Those who escaped found themselves on the receiving end of a volley of sharp rocks, forcing them to stop in their tracks.

A Rock Slide from Terra nailed the rest of the Rockets that were sent to put us down. None of them managed to reach Siebold and I on their journey here.

"I see that Volkner was right to place you here."

"Still felt that I could better use my abilities at Olivine itself where land is everywhere."

"Perhaps." Siebold replied vaguely as his eyes scanned the sea. "I don't see Archer anywhere. What about you?"

"I've been keeping a lookout for him too. Never spotted him. Could he have teleported away already?"

"I was half-expecting him to come straight at me. After all, I am a huge threat with the rate I am decimating his forces. If he does decide to come after me, then it will mean that Jasmine, Steven, and Lorelei will have a much easier time at Olivine. If he decided to head for Olivine and leave me alone, then it will give me free reign to destroy the Rockets who could not escape my trap. So the question is, which choice did he make?"

"If our intel was wrong before about the number of Rockets we are expecting to face, could it also be wrong about the fact that Archer is supposed to be the one leading the siege at Olivine?"

"It's not impossible, but unlikely. Strategically, Olivine is too important to be left alone. Anyone who wants to conquer Johto will have to invest a lot of their efforts in taking down Olivine. Control Olivine and you not only control the western end of Johto's territory, you also get to control Johto's gateway to the world. At least one of Team Rocket's Executive will be leading the charge for this siege, that is for certain."

I can only nod mutely at Siebold's explanation. This is his area of expertise, not mine.

"Jasmine became Gym Leader of Olivine about eight years ago, but did you ever wonder why _she _was appointed as Olivine's Gym Leader even at the young age of seventeen? This is why. Olivine is too important to Johto and in the event the city were to be under attack, they would require the city to hold on for as long as possible because if Olivine falls, then the western territories of Johto will follow soon after. Not only is Jasmine a highly skilled defensive battler, she is one of the best Steel Specialists the Indigo and the world has to offer. She is the best suited candidate to be tasked with the responsibility of Olivine's defence. This is why despite the fact that there were other trainers with stronger offensive capabilities who could also be Olivine's Gym Leader back then, Jasmine was chosen to fill that role and not anyone else. Nobody could beat her in a game of defence and defence is what Olivine needs."

"I never thought that far. I've always thought that the Leagues appointed their Pillars based on the merits of their strength as a trainer."

"There is more to being a Pillar than being good at official battles, Nova. Being good in League regulated battles is the bare minimum if you want to climb to the top. To reach the top, you need to be more, to be better than everyone else in at least one unique aspect."

"And what is that aspect for you? What made you an Elite Four?"

"Does regularly quelling tsunamis around the coastal regions and getting rid of the Beryl Pirates count?"

_"The Beryl Pirates?" _I asked in surprise. Siebold simply nodded.

The Beryl Pirates. They are the largest pirate group that had been infesting Kalos' waters for close to a century until they suddenly mysteriously disappeared off the face of the earth. The size and scale of their activities was no laughing matter, and not only were they extremely bold in their actions, they can be very merciless in their heists. Even I had encountered them once before and I barely managed to get out with my life intact. That happened many years ago, just a few months after I finished competing in my one and only conference.

Come to think about it, the Beryl Pirates disappeared not long before Siebold became an Elite Four. The timeline would fit. So Siebold was the reason why they were wiped off the map?

I never knew.

Siebold used a finger to press onto the wireless earpiece he is wearing over one of his ears. I don't know what he heard over it, but it was enough for him to come to a decision.

"Archer is confirmed to have already reached Olivine. In that case, I will be ending this battle now, Nova." Siebold told me as he revealed the Key Stone that is embedded onto a ring he is wearing on his left index finger. Siebold's blastoise let out a reverberating roar as it began to glow, the tell-tale signs of evolution.

"Do you need Core to Mega Evolve too?"

"No, save it. There's always a chance that we might need it later. For now, blastoise and I will be enough."

Mega blastoise announced its presence with another thunderous roar. It pointed its launchers right at where the remaining Rockets are, the unlucky victims who did not manage to make their escape in time the moment Siebold sprung his trap.

I have no doubts that Siebold will not allow them to get out of here alive. The only thing waiting for these Rockets will be the sea's embrace. They will be buried right here under the vast sea for eternity.

"Water Pulse."

With that, their fates are sealed as their history comes to a close.

All that is left for them is a watery grave with nothing to remember them by.

* * *

**Character and pokemon list:**

**Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. Mamoswine (Berg), Male**

**2\. Golem (Crust), Female**

**3\. Excadrill (Solid), Male**

**4\. Golurk (Drift), Genderless**

**5\. Garchomp (Core), Male**

**6\. Claydol (Vision), Genderless**

**7\. Whiscash (Seis), Male**

**8\. Marowak (Tinen), Female**

**9\. Torterra (Terra), Female**

**10\. Gigalith (Mantle), Male**

**11\. Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male**

**12\. Aurorus (Sail), Female**

**13\. Sandile (Rumble), Male**

**14\. Unknown creature, self-proclaimed Zygarde (Blob), ?**

**Siebold Bocuse, Age: 29, Male, Water Specialist, Kalos Elite Four**

**Pokemon on hand:**

**1\. Clawitzer, Male**

**2\. Starmie, Genderless**

**3\. Barbaracle, Male**

**4\. Gyarados, Male**

**5\. Blastoise, Female**

**6\. Jellicent, Female**

**7\. Greninja, Male**

**8\. Gastrodon, Male**


End file.
